layup

1 of 2

noun

lay·​up ˈlā-ˌəp 

1

: the action of laying up or the condition of being laid up

2

: a shot in basketball made from near the basket usually by playing the ball off the backboard

lay up

2 of 2

verb

laid up; laying up; lays up

transitive verb

1

: to store up : lay by

2

: to disable or confine with illness or injury

a knee injury laid him up for a week

3

: to take out of active service

Synonyms

Verb

• cache
• hoard
• lay away
• lay by
• lay in
• put by
• salt away
• squirrel (away)
• stash
• stockpile
• store
• stow
• treasure

Examples of layup in a Sentence

Verb

an eating disorder that would impel her to lay up candy bars in her closet for all-night food binges

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But Rutgers guard Ace Bailey (20 points, 10 rebounds) countered with a three-pointer from the corner, Johnson made only one of two free throws and the Scarlet Knights’ Jeremiah Williams added a reverse layup to put his team back up by five points. —Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025

Carter, the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, drilled threes on back-to-back Kings possessions to open the final frame, then followed a pair of Porzingis free throws with a driving layup. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2025

Verb

The vote will be far from a lay up for the affable Louisiana conservative, even with the endorsement of President-elect Trump, the party’s undisputed leader. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2025

Females can lay up to 8 eggs, or nits, per day and adults can live for up to 30 days on a person's head, according to the Centers for Disease Control. —Gabrielle Chenault, The Tennessean, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

layup

1 of 2 noun

lay·​up ˈlā-ˌəp 

: a basketball shot made from near the basket usually by bouncing the ball off the backboard

lay up

2 of 2 verb

1

: to store up

2

: to disable or confine with illness or injury

a knee injury laid her up for a week

3

: to take out of active service