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  • lie-down
    lie-down
    noun
    a nap.
  • lie down
    lie down
    verb
    to place oneself or be in a prostrate position in order to rest or sleep
Synonyms

lie-down

American  
[lahy-doun] / ˈlaɪˌdaʊn /

noun

Chiefly British.
lie-downs plural
  1. a nap.


lie down British  

verb

  1. to place oneself or be in a prostrate position in order to rest or sleep

  2. to accept without protest or opposition (esp in the phrases lie down under, take something lying down )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a rest

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
lie down Idioms  
  1. Also, lie down on the job. Be remiss or lazy. For example, They fired Max because he was always lying down on the job. This expression alludes to lying down in the sense of “resting.” [Early 1900s]


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

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

Primarily, it is the business faculty that is developed in all lie-downs of Australian life.

From The Awful Australian by Desmond, Valerie

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