lie-in
noun
a protest demonstration in which participants lie down in a public place against regulations and resist being moved.
lie-in
1 American
[lahy-in]
/ ˈlaɪˌɪn /
noun
lie-in
2
American
[lahy-in]
/ ˈlaɪˌɪn /
noun
Chiefly British.
lie in
British
verb
-
to remain in bed late in the morning
-
to be confined in childbirth
noun
lie in
Idioms
-
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 .
Etymology
Origin of lie-in1
First recorded in 1960–65; see origin at lie 2, -in 3
Origin of lie-in2
First recorded in 1865–70; noun use of verb phrase lie in
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Some people used the Easter Monday bank holiday as a chance to have a much-needed lie-in.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2025
And maybe then he can enjoy that well-deserved lie-in.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2024
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 ● Dec. 4, 2023
He likes the lie-in, too, because it annoys the wrong people.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2020
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 James Boswell
The test will lie in what happens to Dubai’s Iran-linked exchange houses, money-service businesses, trade companies and beneficial-ownership networks, as well as the movement of cash and high-value goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Part of the answer may also lie in how black academics feel in general as part of a tiny minority in the wider university community.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
"The roots of trust lie in two places: the teachers who set the question papers and the invigilators who supervise candidates. If either is compromised, the system is vulnerable," he told the BBC.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The researchers suggest that the answer may lie in the geometry of a higher dimensional universe.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
Mama and Papa lie in the grass, facedown.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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.
