Lag
/læɡ/noun
To fall behind or move more slowly than others; also, a delay or slowdown.
Did you know?English lag is probably from a Scandinavian source meaning “to lie low” or “to be late,” which is why the word carries that dragging, delayed feeling rather than any glamorous origin.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
ON
lagga
“to lie or stay behind; to delay”
Middle English
EN
laggen
“to lag behind; to move slowly”
16th Century
EN
lag
“to fall behind in movement or progress”
Modern English
EN
lag
“to move or develop more slowly than something else; a delay”