Definition

1. 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

1. save up as for future use