lie-in
noun
a protest demonstration in which participants lie down in a public place against regulations and resist being moved.
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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:
Civ, who is also heading to Newcastle University after getting two A*s and an A, said he plans to celebrate by heading back home and having a "lie-in".
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some people used the Easter Monday bank holiday as a chance to have a much-needed lie-in.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2025
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 ● Mar. 27, 2025
He likes the lie-in, too, because it annoys the wrong people.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2020
Chased from our classic souls shall be All thoughts of vulgar progeny; And thou shalt walk through smiling rows Of chubby duodecimos, While I, to match thy products nearly, Shall lie-in of a quarto yearly.
From The Complete Poems of Sir Thomas Moore Collected by Himself with Explanatory Notes by William Michael Rossetti
Its origins lie in a genetic mutation that arose thousands of years ago in regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
China's advantages lie in manufacturing scale, supply chain integration and cost competitiveness, said Counterpoint Research's Ethan Qi, while the United States is "much stronger" on software and cutting-edge research.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 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
Instead she told him, “You made your bed. Now you gotta lie in it.”
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
