the delay of a gun firing or explosives detonating
hangfire in American English
(ˈhæŋˌfaiᵊr)
noun
a delay in the detonation of gunpowder or other ammunition, caused by some defect in the fuze
Word origin
[1890–95; hang + fire]This word is first recorded in the period 1890–95. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: blip, neoclassicism, plein-air, takedown, wireless