lay-by
/ˈleɪ baɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈleɪ baɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlā-ˌbī/ (ame, mw)
lay-by — noun
1. a short area beside a road where drivers can pull over and park their vehicle te
a short area beside a road where drivers can pull over and park their vehicle temporarily.
Tomás pulled into a lay-by near Oxford to check the map on his phone.
pull into + lay-by [for a purpose]
The lorry driver stopped in a lay-by for a cup of tea and a rest.
stop in + lay-by [to rest]
Bright yellow signs along the motorway show the distance to the next lay-by.
Yumi saw a broken-down car parked in a lay-by and called the recovery service.
The bus driver pulled into a lay-by so passengers could get on and off safely.
文法句型
pull into + lay-by
stop in + lay-by
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'lay-by'. In American English, the equivalent terms are 'rest stop' or 'turnout'.
常見錯誤
2. a way of buying goods in which the customer pays a small amount at a time, and t
a way of buying goods in which the customer pays a small amount at a time, and the shop keeps the goods until the full price has been paid.
Nala bought the sofa on lay-by and paid the final instalment three months later.
buy [item] on lay-by
The furniture shop offers a lay-by plan for customers who cannot pay all at once.
offer a lay-by plan
Felix put a new guitar on lay-by and collected it after his last payment.
Many Australian stores still offer lay-by as a convenient payment method for furniture.
The shop keeps your items while you pay off the lay-by in weekly amounts.
- layaway
the American English equivalent of this payment system
- installment plan
a broader term for any payment method where the cost is split over time
- cash purchase
buying something with a single upfront payment
- upfront payment
paying the full price at the time of purchase
文法句型
buy [item] on lay-by
put [item] on lay-by
用法筆記
Chiefly used in British and Australian English. In American English, the term 'layaway' is used instead.
常見錯誤
lay-by — verb
- lay-bypresent simple I / you / we / they
- lay-bies3rd person singular
- lay-bying-ing form
- lay-biedpast simple
1. to stop using or dealing with something and put it aside, often because it is no
to stop using or dealing with something and put it aside, often because it is no longer useful or needed.
The committee decided to lay by the old rules and write a completely new set.
lay by + noun phrase [discard rules]
Theo laid by his old school uniform once he graduated from secondary school.
After the project failed, the company laid by the proposal and explored other ideas.
Jude decided to lay by his old habits and start a healthier daily routine.
文法句型
lay by + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is a less common and more formal sense. In everyday speech, 'put aside' or 'discard' are preferred alternatives. 'Lay by' in this meaning is more frequent in written or literary contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to store or keep something, especially money, food, or supplies, so that you can
to store or keep something, especially money, food, or supplies, so that you can use it at a later time.
Bilal laid by a small amount of money each month for his daughter's education.
lay by [money] for [purpose]
Farmers used to lay by enough grain to last through the long winter months.
Indra laid by several bottles of homemade jam to give as gifts at Christmas.
Tamar laid by a portion of her salary every month in case of an emergency.
文法句型
lay by + noun phrase [for future use]
用法筆記
Less common in modern everyday speech. The more frequent alternatives are 'save', 'set aside', or 'put away'. This sense often appears in older texts or regional writing (especially British and Australian English).