hesitatory en · ADJ
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin haereō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -tō ▲ Latin -tō Latin -itō Latin -titō Latin haesitō Latin haesitātusbor. English hesitate Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -tōriusder. Middle English -orie English -ory English hesitatory From hesitate + -ory.
Meanings
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hesitating
His being suspicious, dubious, cautelous, and not soon determined, but hesitatory at unusual occurrences in his office
a. 1734, Roger North, John Moore:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more hesitatory | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most hesitatory | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |