# await

Pronunciation: say "uh-WAYT" /əˈweɪt/

## Verb

1. To wait for the arrival or occurrence of someone or something.
   - Simple: To wait for someone or something to come or happen.
   - _We await your decision before confirming the venue._
   - _Thousands await the jury's verdict outside the courthouse._
2. To lie ahead for someone as something in store or waiting to happen.
   - Simple: To be coming to someone in the future.
   - _A warm welcome awaits every guest at the lodge._
   - _Great rewards await those who finish the trail._
3. To expect something to come or happen.
   - Simple: To think that something will happen and wait for it.
   - _Forecasters await a major storm by the weekend._
   - _She awaits news of the promotion any day now._
4. To wait; to remain in a state of waiting.
   - Simple: To wait, staying where you are until something happens.
   - _Please await here until your name is called._
   - _The guests awaited patiently in the great hall._
5. To serve or attend on someone, waiting on them and seeing to their needs.
   - Simple: To serve someone or take care of their needs.
   - _Two footmen await the duke throughout dinner._
   - _The servants awaited at the long table during the feast._

## Verb

6. To keep watch and observe, looking on attentively at what is happening, with no object stated. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To watch and look carefully at what is happening.

## Noun

7. A waiting in readiness for someone; an ambush. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A time of waiting to catch someone by surprise.
8. Watching or watchfulness, including the suspicious observation of a person. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Watching someone or something, sometimes because you do not trust them.

## Origin

From Middle English awaiten, from Old Northern French awaitier ("to lie in wait for, watch, observe"), originally with an especially hostile sense; this came from a- ("to") plus waitier ("to watch").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/await (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).