lay-by

IPA/ˈleɪ baɪ/
IPA/ˈleɪ baɪ/

lay-by — noun

1. a short area beside a road where drivers can pull over and park their vehicle te

1.nounB1
Definition

a short area beside a road where drivers can pull over and park their vehicle temporarily.

Example

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]

Common collocations
  • pull into a lay-by
  • stop in a lay-by
  • park in a lay-by
  • use a lay-by
Synonyms
  • rest stop

    American English term for a roadside stopping area, often with toilets or picnic tables

  • turnout

    American English term for a short wide area beside a road where cars can park

  • pull-off

    informal American English term for a roadside stopping place

Grammar Patterns

pull into + lay-by

stop in + lay-by

Usage Note

This is the most common sense of 'lay-by'. In American English, the equivalent terms are 'rest stop' or 'turnout'.

Common Mistakes

I stopped the car on a lay-by.
I stopped the car in a lay-by.
The correct preposition with 'lay-by' is 'in', not 'on'.

2. a way of buying goods in which the customer pays a small amount at a time, and t

2.nounB2
Definition

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.

Example

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

Common collocations
  • on lay-by
  • offer lay-by
  • put [item] on lay-by
  • pay off a lay-by
  • lay-by plan
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

buy [item] on lay-by

put [item] on lay-by

Usage Note

Chiefly used in British and Australian English. In American English, the term 'layaway' is used instead.

Common Mistakes

I bought a phone on lay-by and took it home right away.
I bought a phone on lay-by and took it home after paying the full amount.
With lay-by, the customer only receives the goods after completing all payments.

lay-by — verb

Word family

  • lay-bys
    plural nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe a place where drivers can pull their vehicle off the main road to stop temporarily, but they differ by region and context. 'Lay-by' is the standard term in British English for a short roadside area, often just a widened strip without facilities, where a car or lorry can stop for a brief rest. 'Rest stop' is the American English equivalent but usually implies a larger area with toilets, picnic tables, or vending machines, commonly found along interstate highways. 'Pull-off' is a more informal American term for a simple gravel or dirt area at the side of a road, often with no facilities. 'Turnout' is used in American English for a slightly more formal roadside parking area, sometimes with a scenic viewpoint. For example, a British driver might say 'I pulled into a lay-by to phone my wife,' while an American driver would say 'I pulled into a rest stop to use the bathroom.'

lay-by ↗rest stoppull-offturnout ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • on lay-by
  • pull into a lay-by
  • pay off a lay-by

Prepositions

Etymology

English

'Lay-by' comes from the verb phrase 'lay by', which has been used since the 1300s to mean 'to put aside' or 'to store'. The noun sense for a roadside stopping area appeared in British English around the 1930s, from the idea of a driver 'laying by' their vehicle — that is, pulling it off the road and parking it to one side. The commercial sense (buying goods in instalments) developed later from the American concept of 'layaway', where the shop 'lays by' (keeps aside) the goods until the customer has paid in full.

First known use

1939

1939, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb