waylay ˈwā-ˌlā verb
1. wait in hiding to attack
2. to stall or temporarily stop something from happening
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The word waylay has appeared in two articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on July 27 in “Masks May Reduce Viral Dose, Some Experts Say” by Katherine J. Wu:
The idea that face coverings can curb disease severity, although not yet proven, “makes complete sense,” said Linsey Marr, an expert in virus transmission at Virginia Tech. “It’s another good argument for wearing masks.”
Dr. Marr and other researchers are still sussing out exactly how much inbound or outbound virus different types of masks block. But based on a wealth of past evidence and recent observations, the amount that’s filtered out is probably high — perhaps 50 percent or more of the larger aerosols being sent in both directions, Dr. Marr said. Certain coverings, like N95 respirators, will do better than others, but even looser-fitting cloths can waylay some viral particles.
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