lag1

 
Pronunciation: /lag/

verb (lags, lagging, lagged)

[no object]
  • 1fail to keep up with another or others in movement or development: they waited for Tim who was lagging behind

noun

  • 1 (also time lag) a period of time between one event and another: a time lag between infection and symptoms
  • 2 Physics a retardation in an electric current or movement.

Derivatives

lagger

noun

Origin:

early 16th century (as a noun in the sense 'hindmost person in a game, race, etc.', also 'dregs'): related to the dialect adjective lag (perhaps from a fanciful distortion of last1, or of Scandinavian origin: compare with Norwegian dialect lagga 'go slowly')