מָתַן [to stretch,] (cmp. ארך) to be long, slow; to wait; esp. (of fruits taken off the tree) to lie over for complete ripening. Toh. IX, 5 שיִמְתּוֹנוּ שיהו וכ׳ that they (the olives) may lie over so that they be easy to crush; ib. שימתונו שימלחם that they may lie over until they be ripe for salting; Tosef. ib. X, 10 שיַמְתִּינֵם ושימלחם (Hif.) to let them lie over &c.
Hif. - הִמְתִּין 1) (neut. verb) (neut. verb) to last, remain fresh, keep. Makhsh. VI, 2 בשביל שיַמְתִּינוּ (Maim. in comment. ed. Dehr. שימתונו) that they may remain fresh (Maim.). Sabb. XXIII, 5 (of a corpse) בשביל שיַמְתִּין (Ar. שיִמָּתֵן, Nif.) that it may be preserved. —2) to keep, to let (fruits) lie over. Tosef. Makhsh. l. c., v. supra. —3) to wait, tarry, postpone. Ḥull. II, 4. Ib. 47ᵇ הַמְתִּינִי לו עד וכ׳ postpone his circumcision until &c. Y. Pes. X, 37ᵈ אילו נַמְתִּין וכ׳ (not ממתין) if we were to wait (with the recital of the exodus) until &c. Gen. R. s. 18 (play on יתבששו, Gen. II, 25) לא הִמְתִּינוּ בשלותן וכ׳ they did not remain in their happiness for six hours; a. fr. —4) to be slow, patient. Ab. d’R. N. ch. I שיהא אדם מַמְתִּין בדבריו ואל יהא מקפיד על דבריו that man should be slow and patient in giving his opinion, and not angrily insist on his words.