Lexical Definition

‎ὀκνέω‎ oknéō (ok-neh'-o) to delay ^G:V
from (hesitation)

delay.

• to be slow (figuratively, loath)

Abbott-Smith

ὀκνέω, -ῶ (< ὄκνος, shrinking, hesitation), [in LXX: Nu 22:16 (מנע ni.), Jg 18:9 (עצל ni.), To 12:6, 13, Jth 12:13, Si 7:35, IV Mac 14:4*;]
to shrink from doing, hesitate to do (Hom., Thuc., al.); hence, to delay c. inf., Ac 9:38 (cf. Nu 22:16, and v. MM, xviii).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὀκνέω-έω,

Epic dialect ὀκνέωείω [Refs 8th c.BC+]: imperfect ὤκνεον [Refs]: future -ήσω[Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ὤκνησα [Refs 4th c.BC+]: (ὄκνος):—shrink from doing, scruple, hesitate to do a thing, with infinitive, ὀκνέωείω ἵππων ἐπιβαινέμεν [Refs 8th c.BC+] —In _Attic dialect_ mostly with collateral sense of the feeling which causes the hesitation, and so,

__1 of shame or fear (in a moral sense), ὀκνέωῶ προδότης καλεῖσθαι I shrink from being called, fear to be called, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἷα ἐγὼ ὀκνέωῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὀνομάσαι shrink from naming, hesitate to name, [ὀκνέωήσαιμ᾽ ἂν.. εἰπεῖν 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 18.103, compare 24.7, etc. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2 of pity, σὰς ὀκνέωῶ θρᾶξαι φρένας [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3 most commonly of cowardice or indolence, μεμηνότ᾽ ἄνδρα.. ὀκνέωεῖς ἰδεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+] —The Homeric _construction_ with infinitive continued most common (see. above): rarely with accusative, πῶς τὸ μητρὸς λέκτρον οὐκ ὀκνέωεῖν με δε; [ὀκνέωεῖτε [prev. author] “OC” 731, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 2.2.21; ἂν ὀκνέωῇς τὸ μανθάνειν 4th-3rd c.BC: Philemo Comicus 213.1; also ὀ. περί τινος 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 4.5.20; ὀ. μή.. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedrus” 257c, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 2.3.9, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 1.18. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II frequently also absolutely, shrink, hesitate, hang back, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of soldiers, [Refs 4th c.BC+]