Chapter Words Expressing Abstract Relations of Index by Roget's Thesaurus

(Phrases). In good time; in pudding-time; at sunrise; with the lark; extempore.

Beforehand, prematurely, before one's time, in anticipation.

Suddenly, abruptly, at once, instanter.

(Phrases). On the point of; at short notice; on the spur of the moment; all at once; before you can say "knife."

• Lateness (Substantives), tardiness, slowness, delay, cunctation, procrastination, deferring, postponement, dilatoriness, adjournment, shelving, prorogation.

(Phrase). Fabian tactics.

Protraction, prolongation, leeway.

(Phrase). An afternoon man.

(Verbs). To be late, etc., tarry, wait, stay, bide, take time, dally, dawdle, linger, loiter, bide one's time, shuffle, see 275, 683.

To stand over, lie over.

To put off, defer, delay, leave over, suspend, shift off, stave off, postpone, adjourn, carry over, shelve, procrastinate, prolong, protract, draw out, hang up, prorogue.

(Phrases). To tide it over; to drive to the last; to let the matter stand over.

(Adjectives). Late, tardy, slow, behindhand, posthumous, backward, unpunctual, procrastinatory, belated, out-of-date.

Delayed, etc., suspended, in abeyance.

(Adverbs). Late, after time, too late, sine die, behind time.

At length, at last, backward, at sunset.

Slowly, leisurely, deliberately.

(Phrases). Nonum prematur in annum; a day after the fair; at the eleventh hour; after death, the doctor.

• Occasion (Substantives), opportunity, chance, opening, room, suitable or proper time or season, high time, opportuneness, tempestivity, seasonableness, crisis, turn, juncture, conjuncture.

(Phrases). Golden opportunity; the nick of time; mollia tempora; well-timed opportunity; a stitch in time.

Spare time, leisure, holiday 685, spare moments, hours, etc., time on one's hands.

(Verbs). To take the opportunity, to temporise, to time well, to improve the opportunity.

To use, make use of, employ, profit by, avail oneself of, lay hold of, embrace, catch, seize, snatch, clutch, pounce upon, grasp, etc., the opportunity.

To give, offer, present, afford, etc., the opportunity.

To spend or consume time.

(Phrases). To turn the occasion to account; to seize the occasion; to strike the iron while it is hot; to make hay while the sun shines; carpe diem; to take the tide at the flood; to furnish a handle for.