lie-in

¹

[lahy-in]

noun

1. a protest demonstration in which participants lie down in a public place against regulations and resist being moved.

lie-in

²

[lahy-in]

noun

Chiefly British.

1. an act or instance of staying in bed longer than usual, especially in the morning.

lie in

verb

1. to remain in bed late in the morning

2. to be confined in childbirth

noun

1. a long stay in bed in the morning

Word History and Origins

Origin of lie in¹

First recorded in 1960–65; lie ², -in ³

Origin of lie in²

First recorded in 1865–70; noun use of verb phrase lie in

Idioms and Phrases

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 .

Example Sentences

Some people used the Easter Monday bank holiday as a chance to have a much-needed lie-in.

From BBC

Sadly, for those of us who like a lie-in on a Sunday morning, the clock change in spring does mean we get one hour less sleep.

From BBC

This is a slight lie-in compared to Australia two weeks ago, I suppose.

From BBC

Mr Livingstone says the pandas are usually a bit lazy and like a lie-in in the morning so he has been gradually bringing forward their wake-up time to get them used to earlier starts.

From BBC

“I mean, it was nice to see that at 5.20 a.m. I could roll back over in bed and have a lie-in. So that was nice.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• parade 
• protest 
• sit-in 
• strike 
• walkout