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lay-by

[ ley-bahy ]

noun

  1. British. (on a road or railroad) a place beside the main road or track where vehicles may wait.
  2. Nautical. a mooring place in a narrow river or canal, formed to one side so as to leave the channel free.


lay-by

noun

  1. a place for drivers to stop at the side of a main road
  2. nautical an anchorage in a narrow waterway, away from the channel
  3. a small railway siding where rolling stock may be stored or parked
  4. a system of payment whereby a buyer pays a deposit on an article, which is reserved for him until he has paid the full price
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr to set aside or save for future needs
  2. Alsolay to to cause (a sailing vessel) to stop in open water or (of a sailing vessel) to stop
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of lay-by1

First recorded in 1795–1805; noun use of verb phrase lay by
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Idioms and Phrases

see lay aside , def. 2.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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