lair

1 of 2

noun

ˈler 

1

dialectal British : a resting or sleeping place : bed

2

a

: the resting or living place of a wild animal : den

tracked the bear back to its lair

b

: a refuge or place for hiding

a villain's lair

lair

2 of 2

verb

laired; lairing; lairs

transitive verb

chiefly Scotland : to cause to sink in mire

intransitive verb

chiefly Scotland : wallow

Synonyms

Noun

• concealment
• covert
• den
• hermitage
• hideaway
• hideout
• hidey-hole
• hidy-hole
• nest

Examples of lair in a Sentence

Noun

tracking the bear back to its lair

She runs the project from her private lair in the suburbs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Last season, the room was designed to look like a cave, but it's been revamped to look like a C-list movie supervillain's lair. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 9 Oct. 2024

One night, after warning Armand to steer clear of the Theatre, Louis struts into the coven’s lair and tosses gasoline on their coffins. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 30 June 2024

He’s been trapped in a dark underwater lair by Matangai (an ace Awhimai Fraser), a wily villain with an affinity for bats and shadowy corners who recalls iconic Disney villains like Ursula. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024

Photo: Vrbo Built around a giant glacial boulder that was located on the property, this modern home, designed by Swiss architect Christian Wassmann for his family, looks like the lair of a Nordic god. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 19 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English leger; akin to Old High German legar bed, Old English licgan to lie — more at lie

Verb

Scots lair mire

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

lair

noun

ˈla(ə)r,

ˈle(ə)r

1

: the den or resting place of a wild animal

2

: refuge sense 1, hideaway