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
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 Another route is via a shuttle that crosses railroad tracks laid by the enslaved, and which also served as delivery networks for human cargo. Donovan X. Ramsey, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024 As clutches laid by those snakes failed to contain any crimson hatchlings, vexed breeders agreed that they’d been conned. Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 The north bank is lined with razor wire laid by the Texas National Guard, tangled with the torn clothing of migrants. Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 While the specific details of how genes functioned were not yet fully understood, the groundwork laid by early geneticists during this period paved the way for future discoveries in genetics. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 27 Mar. 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 12 Jun. 2024.

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