vt.　推迟 delay sth until a later time

　The department deferred the decision for six months.　这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
　We wish to defer our decision until next week.　我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
　They discussed but deferred the decision.　他们进行了讨论，但迟迟未做决定。
　Let's defer the decision for a few weeks.　咱们延缓几个礼拜再做决定吧。
　They cannot defer their departure any longer.　他们再不能推迟动身了。
　The ship deferred its sailing because of bad weather.　由于天气不好船推迟了起航时间。
　My bank has agreed to defer the repayments on my loan while I'm still a student.　银行同意在我在校就读期间推迟我的偿还贷款期限。
　The judge deferred sentence pending further medical reports on the defendant.　法官决定推迟判决直至得到被告的健康检查报告。
　Please defer shipment until you receive our further instructions.　在我方另行通知以前请暂停装运。
　As no one could agree, the decision was deferred.　由于大家都不同意，所以迟迟未能作出决定。
　Examinations were deferred because so many children were sick.　考试延期了，因为许多孩子都病了。
　His military service was deferred.　他被允许延期服役。
　Can we defer making a decision until next week.　我们能推迟到下周再作决定吗?
　The judge deferred sentencing the convicted man.　法官推迟对该囚犯的判决。
　I shall defer replying till I hear from him.　我将等接到他的信息后再行答复。
　She had applied for deferred admission to college.　她已申请延期入学。

 ♣ defer to　(v.+prep.)
1. 遵从；听从；顺从 yield to;agree to accept what sb has decided or what they think about sb/sth because you respect him or her
　We all defer to him in these matters.　在这类事情上我们都听他的。
　Youth is expected to defer to old age.　一般来说年轻人应该顺从老年人。
　They deferred to the old man's advice.　他们听从了老人的建议。
　They wouldn't defer to my opinion.　他们不肯听从我的意见。
　I defer to your greater knowledge of the matter.　在这件事上，我尊重你更丰富的知识。
　I defer to your greater knowledge and experience in such things.　你对这类事情懂得更多，经验更丰富，我听从你的意见。
　They had deferred to the great English house on every possible occasion.　他们对那家英格兰商行总是尽可能唯命是从。
　We will defer to whatever the committee decides.　我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。
2. 把…委托给… entrust sth to sb
　We defer matters of this kind to him.　我们把这类事情交由他处理。

 ♣ defer, postpone
　这两个词的共同意思是“推迟”，其区别是：
1. defer可指有意推迟，也可指因不可抗力而推迟；而postpone一般指有意推迟。
2. postpone常用于拖延到某一确切的时间；而defer则更常用于不确定的时间。

　［派生词］ deferment n.推迟；拖延‖deferable adj.可推迟的‖deference n.尊重；听从