What's the difference between defer and demur?

Defer


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To put off; to postpone to a future time; to delay the execution of; to delay; to withhold.
  • (v. i.) To put off; to delay to act; to wait.
  • (v. t.) To render or offer.
  • (v. t.) To lay before; to submit in a respectful manner; to refer; -- with to.
  • (v. i.) To yield deference to the wishes of another; to submit to the opinion of another, or to authority; -- with to.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The diagnosis of anaplastic thyroid cancer, though suspected, was deferred for permanent sections in all cases.
  • (2) But it has already attracted attention for paying some deferred bonuses early in the US to avoid a hike in tax rates.
  • (3) The effect of deferring immediate coronary artery bypass was evaluated in two groups of similar patients having successful direct coronary artery thrombolysis with streptokinase in the treatment of evolving myocardial infarction.
  • (4) In June it warned that some revenues from 31 of about 200 social housing contracts had been deferred hitting the amount of cash coming into the business.
  • (5) The programme source insists that Desmond, while getting "seriously involved" in the production, has frequently deferred to Endemol and has "very much put his money where his mouth is" on the budget.
  • (6) This paper discusses the risk of SAH recurrence and the risk of vasospasm and ischaemia during the waiting time before surgery, in the attitude of deferred surgery which was elected in most cases of this series and compares the outcome with other published series.
  • (7) The Scottish government deferred this year's cut to next year to boost the recovery, and it will get less than £27bn next year.
  • (8) In his letter, Franklin said he was "somewhat surprised" by the guilty finding but "gave deference to the court-martial jury because they had personally observed the actual trial."
  • (9) Recently, balloon aortic valvuloplasty has been proposed for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis in elderly patients when aortic valve replacement has been declined or deferred.
  • (10) Tentative conclusions, with deference to the complex nature of dyslexia, are drawn and suggestions are made for future research.
  • (11) But for the fourth successive budget, because of high and volatile prices in the oil market, i propose to defer the usual inflation increase until September 1st.
  • (12) It would defer the moment of confronting the underlying problem, which is not a strong currency but a rotten state.
  • (13) "All he would have had was a deferred crisis in Britain.
  • (14) Following a median 10-day induction course, 16 patients with retinitis continued to have serial ophthalmologic assessments: eight patients were maintained on treatment and eight had maintenance treatment deferred.
  • (15) If initial thrombolytic therapy reestablishes vessel patency, similar improvements in ventricular function can be expected even if PTCA is deferred until clinically indicated by evidence of recurrent ischemia.
  • (16) One of the two patients with active osteomyelitis at the time of vascularized bone transfer had complications from recurrent sepsis, leading to the authors' caveat that vascularized bone transfer should be deferred until such time as sepsis is inactive.
  • (17) "Whilst I can't defer all the blame away from myself, I was barely out of my teenage years, and the consequence of this portrayal of me is that now I am frequently abused on social media," she said.
  • (18) George Osborne averted a Tory backbench rebellion in the Commons on Monday when the Treasury gave a powerful hint that the government could defer a planned 3p increase in fuel duty.
  • (19) No one can quite believe McChrystal would be so stupid ..." Author Eliot Cohen, writing in the Wall Street Journal , also stressed military deference to civilian authority.
  • (20) Comparison with 40 patients with TO-3 NX MO disease, whose treatment was deferred initially, showed a higher incidence of local progression in the untreated patients.

Demur


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To linger; to stay; to tarry.
  • (v. i.) To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings or judgment in view of a doubt or difficulty; to hesitate; to put off the determination or conclusion of an affair.
  • (v. i.) To scruple or object; to take exception; as, I demur to that statement.
  • (v. i.) To interpose a demurrer. See Demurrer, 2.
  • (v. t.) To suspend judgment concerning; to doubt of or hesitate about.
  • (v. t.) To cause delay to; to put off.
  • (v. i.) Stop; pause; hesitation as to proceeding; suspense of decision or action; scruple.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) His monstrous wardrobe, his entourages of 300 or 400 ferried in four aeroplanes, his huge bedouin tent, complete with accompanying camel, pitched in public parks or in the grounds of five-star hotels – and his bodyguards of gun-toting young women, who, though by no means hiding their charms beneath demure Islamic veils, were all supposedly virgins, and sworn to give their lives for their leader.
  • (2) When the time came for Mayer to give a speech, she demurred for a moment before standing.
  • (3) Strange then that among my generation of friends, adolescent in the early 1980s, there was a sort of discretion verging on the demure when it came to discussing contraception.
  • (4) Pressed on whether the upheaval has reached him, Frost repeatedly, if unsurprisingly, demurs.
  • (5) I’d ask that, instead of demanding black voters’ unquestioning loyalty to Sanders, they interrogate what racism is before demurring to a class analysis that still leaves my working-class family members dead in the street.
  • (6) The Villa clamours for attention on the waterfront, the embarrassingly shouty younger sibling of its more demure neighbour, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem).
  • (7) Pressed in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in mid-October, he demurred.
  • (8) Asked by the Associated Press whether her instant fame had led her to think about higher political office – there has been speculation she could run against Perry for the governor's mansion or attempt to gain a Texas seat in the US senate – she demurred.
  • (9) Asked directly if it was fair to say that Obama has been a better president for America than Putin has been for Russia, Cornyn demurred: “I’m not gonna go down that path.” Bob Corker, the senator from Tennessee who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, also initially said he was no longer responding to each one of Trump’s controversial statements.
  • (10) The Pope liked Benedictines and told Hume, when he demurred at the appointment, that he was asking him to accept "the call of the Lord."
  • (11) This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue.” Trump demurred on Wednesday when asked if he would release his tax returns before the November election, saying it was “not a big deal” and that he had released 104 pages of documents related to his business dealings.
  • (12) The three Alexander McQueen outfits that made the most front pages from the Duchess of Cambridge's recent tour wardrobe were: a sky blue belted knee-length coat, accessorised with navy round-toe suede shoes and a matching clutch bag; a demure dove grey coat with a jaunty grey hat; and a ballet-shoe pink peplum top and skirt, which the duchess wore with LK Bennett courts and pearl drop earrings.
  • (13) Upon learning that an internal campaign memo had instructed surrogates to demur on questions about Trump University, Trump said in a conference call on Monday that they instead should attack journalists who raised the point.
  • (14) The alternative would be to break out of character at the end, and demurely ask for money – which, again, would rather break the spell.
  • (15) Accommodation was provided by Le Manoir in Gemenos (doubles from €90 a night), Domaine de Valbrillant in Meyreuil (from €75) and Le Demure Insoupconnée in Cassis (from €130).
  • (16) He has generally been seen as a Labour supporter and doesn't demur when I mention that perception, so would the coming of a Conservative government next year present problems for him?
  • (17) If the Italian is seen as high maintenance his appointment is also regarded as a high-stakes gamble on Short's part, but Di Canio demurred.
  • (18) "We should put a spit up his ass," said Susan Hennesy, a demure-looking software engineer who works a few blocks away.
  • (19) Bankers are seen as greedy, librarians as demure, journalists as sleazy, nurses as angels and estate agents as dishonest.
  • (20) That may have come as a surprise to the assembled dignitaries, but of course none demurred.