lay by

verb

To put away for future use; save; to build up as savings.

“He had managed to lay by money for college through his years as a paperboy.”

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Meanings

lay by1

nounlay by (plural lay bys)

plural lay bys

  1. alternativeAlternative form of lay-by.
verblay by (third-person singular simple present lays by, present participle laying by, simple past and past participle laid by)

present singular third person lays by · participle present laying by · participle past laid by · past laid by

  1. To put away for future use; save; to build up as savings.

    He had managed to lay by money for college through his years as a paperboy.

  2. nautical(of a sailing vessel) To remain stationary while heading into the wind; to come to a standstill; heave to; lay to.
  3. Southern USTo tend (a crop) for the last time, leaving it to mature without further cultivation.

lay by2

verb
  1. pastsimple past of lie by

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
put bysave
Cite this entry
APA

lay by. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lay%20by

MLA

“lay by.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lay%20by. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lay by,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lay%20by.

Source: lay by on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.