lair

¹ American  

[lair] / lɛər /

noun

1. a den or resting place of a wild animal.

   The cougar retired to its lair.

2. a secluded or hidden place, especially a secret retreat or base of operations; a hideout or hideaway.

   a pirate's lair.

3. British. a place in which to lie or rest; a bed.

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verb (used with object)

1. to place in a lair.

2. to serve as a lair for.

verb (used without object)

1. to go to, lie in, or have a lair.

lair ² American  

[lair] / lɛər /

noun

1. British Dialect. mud; mire.

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verb (used without object)

1. Scot. to sink or stick in mud or mire.

lair ³ American  

[lair] / lɛər /

noun

Chiefly Scot.

1. lore; learning.

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lair ⁴ American  

[lair] / lɛər /

noun

Australian Informal.

1. a man who dresses garishly and is crude or vulgar; show-off.

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lair ¹ British  

/ lɛə /

noun

1. the resting place of a wild animal

2. informal a place of seclusion or hiding

3. an enclosure or shed for farm animals

4. the ground for a grave in a cemetery

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verb

1. (intr) (esp of a wild animal) to retreat to or rest in a lair

2. (tr) to drive or place (an animal) in a lair

lair ² British  

/ lɛə /

noun

1. a flashy man who shows off

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verb

1. (intr; foll by up or around) to behave or dress like a lair

lair ³ British  

/ ler /

noun

1. a Scot word for mire

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Etymology

Origin of lair¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English leir(e), lair, lare, Old English leger; cognate with Dutch, Old High German leger “bed, camp,” Afrkaans laager “defensive circle of wagons,” German Lager “storehouse”; akin to lie ²

Origin of lair²

First recorded in 1300–50; verb use of Middle English lair “clay, mire,” from Old Norse leir ”clay, mud”

Origin of lair³

Middle English lōre, laire (north and Scots lare, lere ), Old English lār “teaching, instruction”; see origin at lore ¹

Origin of lair⁴

First recorded in 1930–35; back formation from lairy

Explanation

A lair is a wild animal's den. If you ever find yourself in a forest and face to face with a bear trying to lure you into his lair, beware! He may be plotting to eat you. The noun lair has its roots in the Old English leger, meaning "bed; place where one lies down." It eventually became the word for an animal's den in the early 15th century. A person can have a lair, too. An evil genius might have a lair where he plots his next crime, for example, while a less scary person might have a cozy lair lined with plush carpet and shelves of books.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lair

Ibrahimovic would happily return to the lair he kept during his time with the Galaxy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

"The suction boots which appear in his first book, The Gremlins, and his last book, Billy and the Minpins, also make an appearance when Sean Connery's Bond is descending into Blofeld's volcano lair," he said.

From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025

The latter here is represented via a large puppet created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and the walk-through experience will take us from taverns to the back alley of a marketplace to the beholder’s lair.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025

He’s retreated to his lair and he is letting his lawyers do all of the dirty work.

From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2025

“Roho’s lair was in the extinct volcano under the city, wasn’t it? I bet that’s where he told the thief to hide the Msaidizi.”

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• hideaway