Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lay up

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.63 in modern English

Syllables: lay up
IPA

10

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To store; to put by.

Transitive verb

verb

To disable or incapacitate; to confine to bed.

Transitive verb

verb

To recuperate or rest; to remain in a place.

Intransitive verb

verb

To take out of active service.

Transitive verb

verb

To go out of active service.

Intransitive verb

verb

To make a layup with (a basketball)

Transitive verb

verb

To deliberately leave the ball further than necessary from the hole, so as to secure an easier succeeding shot.

Intransitive verb

verb

To have sex; to have a sexual relationship.

American usage; Slang

Example Sentences

"We must lay up enough stores to get us through the winter."
"I employed myself in making, as well as I could, a great many baskets, both to carry earth or to carry or lay up anything, as I had occasion; and though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them sufficiently serviceable for my purpose[…]"
"He was laid up for six weeks with pneumonia."
"He laid up until recovering from his illness."
"She's been laid up in Reno for weeks."
"The battleship is presently laid up in Portsmouth Harbour."

Usage

Inflected Forms

lays up (present, singular) laying up (participle, present) laid up (participle, past) laid up (past)

Frequently Paired Words

lay away lay by lay in put aside put away put by save store

Questions

What does lay up mean?: To store; to put by.

How to pronounce lay up

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lay up”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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