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Dally vs Latent - What's the difference?

dally | latent |

As a verb dally

is to waste time in voluptuous pleasures, or in idleness; to trifle.

As a noun dally

is several wraps of rope around the saddle horn, used to stop animals in.

As an adjective latent is

existing or present but concealed or inactive.

dally

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl)

Verb

  • To waste time in voluptuous pleasures, or in idleness; to trifle.
  • * Calamy
  • We have trifled too long already; it is madness to dally any longer.
  • * Barrow
  • We have put off God, and dallied with his grace.
  • To interchange caresses, especially of a sexual nature; to use fondling; to wanton; to sport (compare dalliance)
  • * Shakespeare
  • Not dallying with a brace of courtesans.
  • To delay unnecessarily; to while away.
  • To wind the lasso rope (ie throw-rope) around the saddle horn (the saddle horn is attached to the pommel of a western style saddle) after the roping of an animal
  • * 2003 , Jameson Parker, An Accidental Cowboy , page 89:
  • The end of the top rope he dallied around the gooseneck trailer hitch.
    Synonyms
    * dilly-dally

    Etymology 2

    Possibly from (etyl) "da le la vuelta ! " ("twist it around !") by law of Hobson-Jobson.

    Noun

    (dallies)
  • Several wraps of rope around the saddle horn, used to stop animals in .
  • * 1947 - Bruce Kiskaddon, Rhymes and Ranches
  • What matters is now if he tied hard and fast, / Or tumbled his steer with a dally .

    latent

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Existing or present but concealed or inactive.
  • * 2008 July 2, Joe Palca, “Scientists Make Herpes Breakthrough”, abstract, All Things Considered , National Public Radio
  • Those infected with a herpes virus are infected for life. That’s because the virus goes "latent ." Sometimes, it awakes from its slumber, producing painful illnesses.

    Synonyms

    *(concealed) hidden, invisible *(inactive) dormant

    Antonyms

    *(concealed) apparent, patent, visible

    Anagrams

    * * ----