lie-down
Americannoun
verb
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to place oneself or be in a prostrate position in order to rest or sleep
-
to accept without protest or opposition (esp in the phrases lie down under, take something lying down )
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lie-down
First recorded in 1830–40; noun use of verb phrase lie down
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:
A favorite practice of her British mother, the lie-down is just what it sounds like: a short stint off one’s feet.
From New York Times ● Feb. 17, 2024
The Cardinals took their own wide-body jet, complete with 28 lie-down seats, to a game for the first time and might’ve gotten too comfortable on the way to the Motor City.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2021
When she went upstairs to have a lie-down, it wasn't long before she was woken up by the huge racket coming from downstairs.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2020
Today I thought I’d just take a lie-down, and drift.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 25, 2019
"May we see the horses, Mike—are they having their lie-down, or anything?"
From Thoroughbreds by Fraser, William Alexander
Experts say that, in these situations, it is best to lie down and play dead.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
"I don't sit or lie down there. Even in sleep, I avoid it. I keep pillows on that side."
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
"Our family would lie down and look at various places on the Moon that he would identify based on his mapping and his study guides," she said.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
I thought about this, and then I had to lie down on a park bench.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
I’ve taught Pi to sit, lie down, and roll over.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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From sit-ins at the school board headquarters, demonstrators went on to lie-downs in front of "Willis Wagons," mobile classrooms that are sent into neighborhoods with crowded schools.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Primarily, it is the business faculty that is developed in all lie-downs of Australian life.
From The Awful Australian by Desmond, Valerie
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.