What does taring mean?
Taring is a rare and archaic English noun meaning delay or lingering. In older prose it could refer to the act of postponing something or, more generally, to a period of waiting. The word is related to the familiar tarry, and its old verbal-noun formation made an -ing form directly from the verb tare, “to delay or stay.” The sound and spelling also make taring vulnerable to confusion with tarring, the present participle of tar; the latter concerns coating or sealing something with tar, not postponement. Taring survives chiefly in older English texts rather than current standard speech, so its presence usually gives a slightly formal or archaic flavor. Even so, it is useful to readers of period literature because it names with unusual directness the simple experience of postponement or lingering. It is also a reminder that many ordinary English nouns preserve specialized verbal endings even after the related everyday vocabulary has changed.
nounAn instance or act of delaying, lingering, or tarrying; delay.
- An act or instance of delaying, lingering, or tarrying.
"The messenger departed without further taring."
"There was no further taring before the procession set off."
"The account attributes the delay to the taring of the messenger."
The regular plural is tarings, although plural use is uncommon because the noun itself is now rare.
"Several tarings were recorded before the guests finally arrived."
Taring—a once-used word for delay—now survives mainly in older prose.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does taring come from?
Taring is an English verbal noun formed from tare, “to delay, stay, or wait,” with the suffix -ing. The related modern verb tarry and its forms tarried and tarrying preserve the same historical root and sense. Although no longer common in contemporary standard English, taring appears in older English, particularly in British-influenced prose.
Related word forms
How taring is actually used
This is an archaic English noun rather than the present participle of tar. Its inflected forms are uncommon, and its appearance in modern writing may sound deliberately old-fashioned.
Easily confused with taring
Taring is an archaic noun meaning delay or lingering, whereas tarring is the present participle of tar, meaning to coat or seal something with tar.