Cunctation is a noun that refers to an action or delay.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word cunctari (koonk TAR ee) which means ‘to delay.’ It entered English in the late 16th century, maintaining it basic meaning. By adding the suffix A-T-I-O-N, it makes cunctation a noun that refers to an action or instance of something.

I was a little annoyed by the cunctation of my son’s baseball game. But if I’d known the result of the game, I would have been in no hurry for the game to be played.