Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-MUR', v.i. [Fr. demeurer; Sp. demorar; Port. demorar; It. dimorare; L. demoror; de and moror, to stay or delay, mora, delay; Arm. miret, to hold; Sax. merran, myrran, to hinder; allied to L. miror, and Eng. to moor, Sp. amarrar.]

1. To stop; to pause; to hesitate; to suspend proceeding; to delay determination or conclusion. On receiving this information, the minister demurred, till he could obtain further instructions.
2. In law, to stop at any point in the pleadings, and rest or abide on that point in law for a decision of the cause. Thus the defendant may demur to the plaintif's declaration, alledging it to be insufficient in law; the plaintif may demur to the defendant's plea, for a like reason.