linger

Etymology

From Middle English lengeren, frequentative of lengen (“to stay, dwell, tarry”), from Old English lenġan (“to lengthen, delay, extend”), from Proto-West Germanic *langijan, from Proto-Germanic *langijaną (compare West Frisian lingje (“to linger”), Dutch lengen, German längen, Icelandic lengja (“to lengthen”)), related to the root of English long. Equivalent to linge or long + -er (frequentative verb suffix).

verb

1. (intransitive) To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
   His tone lingered in the air, almost like the tone of a musical instrument. 1859, Charles Dickens, chapter 15, in A Tale of Two Cities
   She lingered in the window until the windy sunset died in bat-colored dusk; then, going to bed, she lay sleepless all night. 1891 July, Edith Wharton, “Mrs. Manstey's View”, in Scribner’s Magazine
   Stars fading but I linger on, dear / Still craving your kiss / I'm longin' to linger till dawn, dear / Just saying this 1931, “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, Gus Kahn (lyrics), Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt (music)
   It takes into account […] predictions of how long radioactive contaminants will linger in the soil and water near the nuclear facility. April 25 2011, Alice Park, “Upgrading the Disaster”, in Time, archived from the original on 2011-12-03
   Mrs. Clinton’s main opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist, has proved to be more formidable than most people, including Mrs. Clinton, anticipated. He has brought income inequality and the lingering pain of the middle class to center stage and pushed Mrs. Clinton a bit more to the left than she might have gone on economic issues. January 30 2016, “Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination”, in The New York Times, retrieved 2016-01-30
2. (intransitive) To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.
   He lingered through the day, and died that evening as the sun went down. 1887, Thomas Hardy, chapter 14, in The Woodlanders
   During his absence the queen fell ill, and after lingering for some time she died. 1904, Andrew Lang, “Asmund and Signy”, in The Brown Fairy Book
3. (intransitive, often followed by on) To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion.
   Trump doesn't linger on the poll. April 14 2011, Michael Scherer, “Trump's Political Reality Show: Will the Donald Really Run for President?”, in Time, archived from the original on 2011-09-23