linger: Meaning and Definition of

lin•ger

1. to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave: We lingered awhile after the party.
2. to remain alive; continue or persist, although gradually dying, ceasing, disappearing, etc.: She lingered a few months after the heart attack. Such practices still linger among the older natives.
3. to dwell in contemplation, thought, or enjoyment: to linger over the beauty of a painting.
4. to be tardy in action; delay; dawdle: to linger in discharging one's duties.
5. to walk slowly; saunter along.

1. to pass (time, life, etc.) in a leisurely or a tedious manner (usually fol. by away or out): We lingered away the whole summer at the beach.
2. to draw out or protract.