waylay
[ wey-ley, wey-ley ]
/ ˈweɪˌleɪ, weɪˈleɪ /
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.
Nearby words
wayfaring tree, waygoing, waygoing crop, waylaid, wayland, waylay, wayleave, wayleggo, wayless, waymark, waymarked
Origin of waylay
Related formsway·lay·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for waylay
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 Formswaylayer, 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
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Word Origin and History for waylay
waylay
"to ambush," 1510s, from way + lay (v.), on model of Middle Low German, Middle Dutch wegelagen "besetting of ways, lying in wait with evil or hostile intent along public ways."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper