Definition

Verb (transitive) 1. To disable or confine, typically due to illness or injury: This meaning describes the action of forcing someone to stay in bed or be inactive because they are unwell or hurt. It often implies a temporary but complete inability to engage in normal activities. 2. To store or save for future use: This meaning refers to the action of accumulating and putting something aside to be used later.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (disable/confine):

  • The flu laid him up for over a week.
  • A back injury laid the athlete up for the entire season.
  • She was laid up with a bad cold and couldn't attend the meeting.

• Verb (store/save):

  • Squirrels lay up nuts for the winter.
  • He's been laying up supplies in case of an emergency.
  • The company decided to lay up some of its older ships during the economic downturn.

Advanced Usage

• The phrasal verb is commonly used in the passive voice ("to be laid up") when referring to illness or injury.
• In sports like golf or basketball, "to lay up" means to make a cautious, less aggressive shot intended to position the ball favorably for the next move, rather than attempting a more difficult direct score.

Variants and Related Words

• Laid-up (adjective): Describing the state of being disabled or confined.
  • He's been laid-up since his surgery.
• Layaway (noun): A method of purchasing where an item is reserved by making deposits until it is fully paid for. This is a related commercial concept of setting something aside for future use.

Synonyms

• For "disable/confine": incapacitate, sideline, immobilize, confine to bed.
• For "store/save": accumulate, stockpile, store away, save up, hoard.

Phrasal Verbs

• Lay up is itself a phrasal verb with the meanings defined above. It does not commonly branch into further phrasal verb constructions.

Related Idioms

• To be laid up (in dry dock): Originally a nautical term for a ship taken out of service and stored on land. It is used figuratively to mean being out of action or inactive.
  • After the project ended, the consultant was laid up in dry dock for a few months.

Verb

1. disable or confine, as with an illness
   • She was laid up with pneumonia for six weeks