lay-up

or lay·up

[ ley-uhp ]

/ ˈleɪˌʌp /

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noun

Basketball. a shot with one hand from a point close to the basket, in which a player shoots the ball toward the basket, often off the backboard.

the operation of assembling veneers for pressing into plywood.

the operation of applying alternate layers of material and a binder to form a bonded material.

lay¹ (def. 40).

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Origin of lay-up

First recorded in 1940–45; noun use of verb phrase lay up

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lay-up in a sentence

This is like the layup drills before an NBA game, and no one is keeping score.
Why the Fiscal Cliff Is a Snooze|Howard Kurtz|December 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Edeshko was then clear to make a pass down the court to Aleksandr Belov, who made a layup.
An Olympic Détente for the 1972 Men’s Basketball Team|Tom McMillen|August 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Because the Raj case is the sideshow, not the main event, I'm skeptical it will be a layup.
Wall Street's Courtoom Showdown|Charlie Gasparino|March 7, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Even though we led at the half, my heart fell with each missed layup on both ends of the floor.
Why I Love the WNBA|Condoleezza Rice|May 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Picking a seatwarmer should be the political equivalent of a layup.
Another GOP Star Stumbles|Jim DeFede|September 4, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He thought it wise to layup for himself as much treasure upon earth as possible.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists|Robert Tressell

British Dictionary definitions for lay-up

lay up

verb (tr, adverb)

to store or reserve for future use

(usually passive) informal to incapacitate or confine through illness

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-up