Search the Dictionary

a. & n. from Wait, v. In waiting, in attendance; as, lords in waiting. [Eng.] -- Waiting gentlewoman, a woman who waits upon a person of rank. -- Waiting maid, Waiting woman, a maid or woman who waits upon another as a personal servant.

By waiting.

A lady's waiting-maid. Pepys. Her abigail reported that Mrs. Gutheridge had a set of night curls for sleeping in. Leslie.

Act of waiting; delay. [Obs.] Shak. And with her fled away without abode. Spenser.

A room before, or forming an entrance to, another; a waiting room.

present or near at hand, in pursuance of duty; to be ready for service; to wait or be in waiting; -- often followed by on or upon. He was required to attend upon the committee. Clarendon.

The act of attending; state of being in waiting; service; ministry; the fact of being present; presence. Constant attendance at church three times a day. Fielding.

Being present, or in the train; accompanying; in waiting. From the attendant flotilla rang notes triumph. Sir W. Scott. Cherub and Seraph . . . attendant on their Lord. Milton.

xpect. See Expect. Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat, Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night. Milton.

obscurity or retirement, or out of sight. I fancy there was a background of grinding and waiting before Miss Torry could produce this highly finished . . . performance. Mrs. Alexander. A husband somewhere in the background. Thackeray.

who transmits the orders of the captain of a vessel to the engineer, helmsman, etc. (b) A waiting boy who answers a cal, or cames at the ringing of a bell; a bell boy. -- Call note, the note naturally used by the male bird to call the female. It is artifically applied by birdcatchers as a decoy. Latham. -- Call of th…

An authoritative order requiring obedience; a mandate; an injunction. A waiting what command their mighty chief Had to impose. Milton.

bend down; to stoop low; to lie close to the ground with the logs bent, as an animal when waiting for prey, or in fear. Now crouch like a cur. Beau. & Fl.

e on his knee. Shak. To dance attendance, to come and go obsequiously; to be or remain in waiting, at the beck and call of another, with a view to please or gain favor. A man of his place, and so near our favor, To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasure. Shak.

ssion of spirits; discouragement. [R.] Procter, in evident distress and dispiritment, was waiting the slow conclusion of this. Carlyle.

The chief lady in waiting on the queen of Spain. Brande.

Waiting in expectation; looking for; (Med.)

A man in waiting; a male servant whose duties are to attend the door, the carriage, the table, etc.

The act of forbearing or waiting; the exercise of patience. He soon shall findForbearance no acquittance ere day end. Milton.

A porch or waiting room, usually at the west end of an abbey church, where the monks collected on returning from processions, where bodies were laid previous to interment, and where women were allowed to see the monks to whom they were related, or to hear divine service. Also, frequently applied to the porch of a churc…