Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Defer \De*fer"\, v. i.
   To yield deference to the wishes of another; to submit to the
   opinion of another, or to authority; -- with to.

         The house, deferring to legal right, acquiesced.
                                                  --Bancroft.

Defer \De*fer"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Deferred}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Deferring}.] [OE. differren, F. diff['e]rer, fr. L. differre
   to delay, bear different ways; dis- + ferre to bear. See
   {Bear} to support, and cf. {Differ}, {Defer} to offer.]
   To put off; to postpone to a future time; to delay the
   execution of; to delay; to withhold.

         Defer the spoil of the city until night. --Shak.

         God . . . will not long defer To vindicate the glory of
         his name.                                --Milton.

Defer \De*fer"\, v. i.
   To put off; to delay to act; to wait.

         Pius was able to defer and temporize at leisure. --J.
                                                  A. Symonds.

Defer \De*fer"\, v. t. [F. d['e]f['e]rer to pay deference, to
   yield, to bring before a judge, fr. L. deferre to bring down;
   de- + ferre to bear. See {Bear} to support, and cf. {Defer}
   to delay, {Delate}.]
   1. To render or offer. [Obs.]

            Worship deferred to the Virgin.       --Brevint.

   2. To lay before; to submit in a respectful manner; to refer;
      -- with to.

            Hereupon the commissioners . . . deferred the matter
            to the Earl of Northumberland.        --Bacon.

Source : WordNet®

defer
     v 1: hold back to a later time; "let's postpone the exam" [syn: {postpone},
           {prorogue}, {hold over}, {put over}, {table}, {shelve},
           {set back}, {remit}, {put off}]
     2: submit or yield to another's wish or opinion; "The
        government bowed to the military pressure" [syn: {submit},
         {bow}, {accede}, {give in}]
     [also: {deferring}, {deferred}]