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• lay-by
  lay-by

  noun

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

  see lay aside, def. 2.

lay-by

American  

[ley-bahy] / ˈleɪˌbaɪ /

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.

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lay-by British  

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

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verb

1. (tr) to set aside or save for future needs

2. Also: lay to.  to cause (a sailing vessel) to stop in open water or (of a sailing vessel) to stop

lay by Idioms  

1. see lay aside, def. 2.

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Etymology

Origin of lay-by

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

Example Sentences

Rania's son, Yazan said the discovery of human remains more than a decade on at the lay-by area was a "surreal surprise to me and my family".

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2025

Driving home from his last shift down the pit, as Britain's coal industry withered away, Don Keating pulled into a lay-by and cried.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2024

The discovery of Renee MacRae's BMW on fire in a lay-by south of Inverness on Friday 12 November 1976 sparked one of the UK's longest murder inquiries.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2023

Her car was found that night on fire in a lay-by on the A9 at Dalmagarry, south of Inverness.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2023

The man points to a line of small vans in a lay-by on the Turkish side.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell