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

Her first impulse was an animal one—Go to your lair and hide! —William Earl, Variety, 1 Oct. 2024

Israel’s firepower had pursued Hezbollah to its lair, attacking rank-and-file and military leadership alike. —Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 22 Sep. 2024

When more formal occasions arise, guests head to another dining lair, this one reminiscent of a library thanks to its quartet of bespoke bookcases. —Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2024

The misfits break into Cassandra’s lair, drawing the attention of her henchmen and allowing the bosom buddies to take on Cassandra. —Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 25 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