lay-by

[ ley-bahy ]

/ ˈleɪˌbaɪ /

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noun

British. (on a road or railroad) a place beside the main road or track where vehicles may wait.

Nautical. a mooring place in a narrow river or canal, formed to one side so as to leave the channel free.

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Origin of lay-by

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

Words nearby lay-by

layaway, layaway plan, layback, lay baptism, lay brother, lay-by, lay claim to, lay clerk, lay day, lay days, laydeez

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use lay-by in a sentence

One police officer was coolly dispatched as he lay wounded on the sidewalk.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A step-by-step plan to break from your various technology addictions.
Can Self-Help Books Really Make a New You?|Lizzie Crocker|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those snakes attacked unwitting passers-by, or invaded homes and hotels.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma|Brendon Hong|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Horniness packs side-by-side by with a deeper loneliness along the walls of The Park.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Lay the butterflied pork loin on the cutting board with the fat cap facing down.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
All along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants."
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The seed of discontent was again germinating under the duplicity of the Spanish lay and clerical authorities.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
At the sight, Felipe flung himself on his knees before her; he kissed the aged hands as they lay trembling in her lap.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Alone Orlean lay trying vainly to forget something—something that stood like a spectre before her eyes.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for lay-by

lay-by

noun

British a place for drivers to stop at the side of a main road

nautical an anchorage in a narrow waterway, away from the channel

a small railway siding where rolling stock may be stored or parked

Australian, NZ and Southern African 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

verb lay by (adverb)

(tr) to set aside or save for future needs

Also: lay 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

Other Idioms and Phrases with lay-by

lay by

see lay aside, def. 2.