Definition

Verb (transitive) To acquire and keep a supply of something for future use; to store or put aside.

Usage

This verb is used to describe the action of obtaining and saving items, typically in larger quantities, in preparation for a future time when they will be needed. It implies planning and foresight.

Examples

• We need to lay in firewood before the cold weather arrives.
• She decided to lay in a good stock of canned goods before the hurricane season.
• The sailors laid in fresh water and provisions for their long voyage.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a connotation of preparing for a period of scarcity, emergency, or seasonal change.
• It can be used figuratively for non-physical things, such as knowledge or experiences.
  • He spent his youth laying in a wealth of knowledge about classical literature.

Variants and Related Words

• Lay by: A less common variant with a similar meaning of saving for the future.
• Stockpile (verb/noun): To accumulate a large stock of goods or materials.
• Accumulate: To gather or build up a supply over time.

Synonyms

Store up, stock up, accumulate, amass, put by, save, hoard (can have a negative connotation).

Phrasal Verbs

• Lay in is itself a phrasal verb. Its structure is separable: you can "lay supplies in" or "lay in supplies."
• Lay up: Has a similar meaning of storing for future use, especially in the context of saving money or storing a ship for the winter.

Related Idioms

• To lay in a store (of something): This is a more formal or literary way of expressing the same action.
  • The squirrels were busy laying in a store of nuts for the winter.

Verb

1. keep or lay aside for future use
   • store grain for the winter
   • The bear stores fat for the period of hibernation when he doesn't eat