waylay

[ wey-ley, wey-ley ]

/ ˈweɪˌleɪ, weɪˈleɪ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR waylay ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), way·laid, way·lay·ing.

to intercept or attack from ambush, as in order to rob, seize, or slay.

to await and accost unexpectedly: The actor was waylaid by a swarm of admirers.

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Origin of waylay

1505–15; way¹ + lay¹, after Middle Low German, Middle Dutch wegelagen to lie in wait, derivative of wegelage a lying in wait

OTHER WORDS FROM waylay

way·lay·er, noun

Words nearby waylay

wayfaring tree, waygoing, waygoing crop, waylaid, wayland, waylay, wayleave, wayleggo, wayless, waymark, waymarked

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for waylay

She took every opportunity to consult Doctor Kendal and waylay him for long chats.
Pretty Madcap Dorothy|Laura Jean Libbey
My idea was to wait outside the town of Falmouth, to waylay them, and then to thrash them both within an inch of their lives.
The Birthright|Joseph Hocking
The question is—Have they passed the place, where it was intended to waylay them?
The Death Shot|Mayne Reid
To this they all agreed, and hearing that the Governor would go out on that day for recreation, proceeded to waylay him.
Kathay: A Cruise in the China Seas|W. Hastings Macaulay

He sends a band to waylay a trader and bring him from afar, only to at last return him unharmed and laden with rich treasure.
The Rope of Gold|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for waylay

waylay

/ (weɪˈleɪ) /

verb -lays, -laying or -laid (tr)

to lie in wait for and attack

to await and intercept unexpectedly

Derived forms of waylay

waylayer, noun

Word Origin for waylay

C16: from way + lay 1

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

waylay

verb (used with object), way·laid, way·lay·ing.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUNCTUATION QUIZ

Origin of waylay

OTHER WORDS FROM waylay

Words nearby waylay

Words related to waylay

Example sentences from the Web for waylay

British Dictionary definitions for waylay

verb -lays, -laying or -laid (tr)

Derived forms of waylay

Word Origin for waylay