tardy

Etymology

From an earlier tardive, from French tardif, from Late Latin tardīvus, from Latin tardus (“slow”, “sluggish”), of obscure origin.

adj

1. Late; overdue or delayed.
   He yawned, then raised a tardy hand over his mouth.
   Men of genius anticipate their contemporaries, and know they are such, long before the tardy consent of the public. 1795, Isaac D’Israeli, chapter 9, in An Essay on the Manners and Genius of the Literary Character, London: T. Cadell Jr. and W. Davies, page 122
   As a matter of fact, the luncheon fare, when it made its tardy appearance, was distinctly unworthy of the reputation which the justly-treasured cook had built up for herself. 1914, Saki, “The Stake”, in Beasts and Super-Beasts, London: John Lane, pages 202–203
   And the Black Muslims, along with many people who are not Muslims, no longer wish for a recognition so grudging and (should it ever be achieved) so tardy. 1963, James Baldwin, “Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind”, in The Fire Next Time, New York: Dial, page 87
2. Moving with a slow pace or motion; not swift.
   These berries […] are a deadly and insidious poison, though very tardy in their action, often lying dormant in the blood for many days. 1926, Hope Mirrlees, chapter 19, in Lud-in-the-Mist, Millennium, published 2000
   And the youngest of the family Is moving with authority Building castles by the sea He dares the tardy tide To wash them all aside. 1972, “Thick As A Brick”, Ian Anderson (lyrics), performed by Jethro Tull
3. Ineffectual; slow-witted, slow to act, or dull.
   His tardy performance bordered on incompetence.
4. (obsolete) Unwary; unready (especially in the phrase take (someone) tardy).
5. (obsolete) Criminal; guilty.
   And the Franks served the Men much the same ſauce when they found them tardy, and made them run their Heats through the Streets 1697, Jeremy Collier, Essays upon Several Moral Subjects

noun

1. (US) A piece of paper given to students who are late to class.
   The teacher gave her a tardy because she did not come into the classroom until after the bell.
2. (US) An instance of a student's being marked as tardy by a teacher on the teacher's attendance sheet.

verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make tardy.