lay away
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To save up as for future use: To set aside money or items gradually over time for a later purpose or purchase.
Usage
The verb "lay away" is used to describe the act of systematically reserving something, typically money or goods, for use at a future date. It often implies a deliberate, planned effort to accumulate or set something aside.
Examples
- Verb:
- She decided to lay away a portion of her salary each month for her vacation.
- They are laying away canned goods in preparation for the winter storm season.
Advanced Usage
- "to lay something away": This is the standard transitive construction, where "something" is the object being saved.
- He is laying his bonus away for a down payment on a house.
Variants and Related Words
- Layaway (noun): A purchasing method where a buyer makes a deposit to hold an item and pays for it in installments before taking possession.
- The store offers a layaway plan for holiday gifts.
Synonyms
- Save up: To accumulate money over time.
- Put aside: To reserve something for later use.
- Stash away: To store or hide something, often secretly, for future use.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Lay by: An older or regional variant with a similar meaning of saving or storing for future use.
- Farmers used to lay by part of their harvest for the lean months.
Related Idioms
- "To lay up treasure": To accumulate wealth or valuable things for the future. (This idiom uses "lay up," which is closely related to "lay away.")
- The parable warned against laying up treasures on earth.
Verb
- save up as for future use