lay-by

[ ley-bahy ]

noun

1. British. (on a road or railroad) a place beside the main road or track where vehicles may wait.
2. Nautical. a mooring place in a narrow river or canal, formed to one side so as to leave the channel free.

lay-by

noun

1. a place for drivers to stop at the side of a main road
2. nautical an anchorage in a narrow waterway, away from the channel
3. a small railway siding where rolling stock may be stored or parked
4. a system of payment whereby a buyer pays a deposit on an article, which is reserved for him until he has paid the full price

verb

1. tr to set aside or save for future needs
2. Alsolay to to cause (a sailing vessel) to stop in open water or (of a sailing vessel) to stop

Word History and Origins

Origin of lay-by¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; noun use of verb phrase lay by

Idioms and Phrases

see lay aside , def. 2.

Example Sentences

Driving home from his last shift down the pit, as Britain's coal industry withered away, Don Keating pulled into a lay-by and cried.

From BBC

A man who murdered his ex-girlfriend during an argument and dumped her body in a lay-by near the M1 motorway has been jailed for a minimum of 17 years.

From BBC

Police looking for the body of a woman who was murdered by her husband in a "pre-planned honour killing" ten years ago have begun a "detailed search" of a lay-by, a force has said.

From BBC

The driver then stopped in a lay-by and called the police, the prosecutor said.

From BBC

In one case, nine people - including five children - were found in a distressed state in the back of a lorry in a lay-by.

From BBC