to remain in bed late in the morning
to be confined in childbirth
Be in confinement for childbirth, as in She thought she'd be lying in by next week . This usage is probably dying out. The name of Boston's Lying-In Hospital was changed to Women's Hospital in the 1970s. [Mid-1400s]
Also, . Rest or depend on something or someone, as in The solution lies in research , or The decision lies in the President's hands , or It does not lie in my power to turn this situation around . [Mid-1300s] Also see lie in wait ; lie through one's teeth .
First recorded in 1960–65; see origin at lie 2, -in 3
First recorded in 1865–70; noun use of verb phrase lie in
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This is a slight lie-in compared to Australia two weeks ago, I suppose.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2024
"I'd rather have a lie-in and eat some donuts", the 21-year-old marketing executive from Kent explains.
From BBC ● May 2, 2023
He likes the lie-in, too, because it annoys the wrong people.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2020
But there's one person in particular who won't have had a remote sniff of a lie-in - and is unlikely to get a snooze anytime soon - the new prime minister.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2019
Captain M'Lean's house being in some confusion, on account of Mrs. M'Lean being expected to lie-in, we resolved to go to Mr. M'Sweyn's, where we arrived very wet, fatigued, and hungry.
From Life of Johnson, Volume 5 Tour to the Hebrides (1773) and Journey into North Wales (1774) by Boswell, James
They lie in mud, shells, ice and rock - fragments of evidence from a time when the Atlantic appears to have changed with startling speed.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The researchers suggest that the answer may lie in the geometry of a higher dimensional universe.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
Khamenei will lie in state for three days, and the bodies of his slain relatives will also be present.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Khichuri’s beauty and widespread appeal lie in its versatility.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
I knew he would find the lie in my eyes if I did.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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.
