de·fer¹ / diˈfər/ • v. (-ferred, -fer·ring) [tr.] put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone: they deferred the decision until February. ∎ hist. postpone the conscription of (someone): he was no longer deferred from the draft.DERIVATIVES: de·fer·ment n.de·fer·ra·ble adj.de·fer·ral / -ˈfərəl/ n.de·fer² • v. (-ferred, -fer·ring) [intr.] (defer to) submit humbly to (a person or a person's wishes or qualities): he deferred to Tim's superior knowledge.DERIVATIVES: de·fer·rer n.

defer 2 †submit oneself, submit or refer (a matter) XV. †offer, proffer XVI; submit in opinion to XVII. — (O)F. déférer — L. dēferre carry away, grant, report, refer (a matter), f. DE- 2 + ferre BEAR 2.
So deference XVII. Hence deferential XIX.

defer 1 put off, postpone, XIV. ME. differre, deferre — (O)F. différer defer, differ — L. differre carry apart, delay, bear in different directions, differ. Often spelt with diff- until XVII, but finally differentiated from the ult. identical DIFFER, perh. partly by assoc. with delay.