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
Every thread, every stitch, is laid by hand, precisely as intended. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 Thousands of people have tuned in to watch a YouTube live cam set up by the California conservation organization, Friends of Big Bear Valley, to monitor three eggs laid by female bald eagle Jackie on Jan. 25 and her partner Shadow — and to watch the drama unfold between the two birds. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 These eggs are laid by hens whose feed is supplemented with fat sources like flaxseed. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024 The eggs laid by younger flamingos at Zoo Atlanta were flown to the Seattle zoo as part of the Species Survival Plan breeding program operated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 The foundation laid by the Public Safety Institute in fostering true interoperability of a person’s full medical record was instrumental in fostering the national vision of a cohesive approach to health care improvement. John C. (jack) Lewin and Jane Delgado, STAT, 18 Jan. 2024 For example, a 2019 study reported that wild pigs were digging up eggs laid by endangered loggerhead sea turtles on an island off the coast of South Carolina, reducing the turtles’ nesting success to zero in some years. Discover Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023 But when his overprotective father is called to save the day in Nova Scotia on Christmas Eve and becomes stranded in a trap laid by Mr. Freeze, Damian is left home alone with no one to help him as two criminals break in. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Dec. 2023 For example, a 2019 study reported that wild pigs were digging up eggs laid by endangered loggerhead sea turtles on an island off the coast of South Carolina, reducing the turtles' nesting success to zero in some years. Marcus Lashley, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2023

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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