lay-by

1 of 2

noun

1
British : turnout sense 2b
2
: the final operation (such as a last cultivating) in the growing of a field crop

lay by

2 of 2

verb

laid by; laying by; lays by

transitive verb

1
: to lay aside : discard
2
: to store for future use : save
3
: to cultivate (a crop, such as corn) for the last time

Examples of lay-by in a Sentence

Verb a politician who had laid by his principles years ago ever since the last hurricane caught them unprepared, they have laid by emergency supplies
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The cuckoo catfish, found in Lake Tanganyika, the world’s longest freshwater lake located in Sub-Saharan Africa, sneaks its own eggs into clutches laid by cichlid fish. Ben Guarino, Popular Science, 13 June 2024 The transaction would have brought an end to the Redstone family's long stewardship of Paramount, which was built on the corporate foundation laid by her late father, entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 June 2024 But, according to police, the two women were walking into a trap laid by Adams; her boyfriend, Tad Cullum; and two pals, Cole and Cora Twombly. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2024 Amorim and her colleagues compared the number of eggs laid by populations of the fish in different tanks. Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024 These nymphs start off as eggs laid by adult flies from the former generation. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 6 June 2024 But if the current contest is a visible example of that nascent political power, the foundations have been laid by women like Ms. Magaña and Ms. Álvarez and those before them. Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 May 2024 In 1881, the cornerstone was laid by James Cardinal Gibbons. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 17 Apr. 2024 Growing the game With the groundwork laid by the WNBA's previous stars and the addition of exciting new talent like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, more eyes are on the league than ever before. Rishikesh Rajagopalan, CBS News, 14 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lay-by.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1939, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lay-by was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near lay-by

Cite this Entry

“Lay-by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay-by. Accessed 29 Jun. 2024.

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