Question

Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. I was very glad to do as he asked, and so become one of the privileged spectators within the contemplated enclosure. I failed to find Lord Hilton at his house, but I was told he was expected from London by the six o’clock train from Waterloo; and as it was then about a quarter past five, I went home, had some tea, and walked up to the station to waylay him. Given the context, what is the most accurate definition of the word waylay?

Answer 1

Answer:

To intercept.

Explanation:

The authors provide context clues that function as hint or clue that signal the meaning of unfamiliar or unusual word given in the narrative. The word 'waylay' denotes 'to stop, deflect, or divert something.' In the given excerpt taken from 'The War of the Worlds', the context clues('Lord Hilton was expected by six and it was about quarter past five') reveal that the word 'waylay' conveys the meaning 'intercept' which implies that the narrator was intending to 'divert himself for forty five more minutes' until Hilton comes.