layups

lay up

1. To cause someone to need to rest in order to recover or recuperate, as from illness or injury. A noun or pronoun can be used between "lay" and "up." Man, that flu laid me up for a week. All I did was sleep and eat chicken soup!

2. To obtain and stock something to keep in reserve. A noun or pronoun can be used between "lay" and "up." If I'm going to have 50 kids in my house next week, I better lay up a supply of paper towels now!

3. To damage (a ship, typically). A noun or pronoun can be used between "lay" and "up." A collision will lay your ship up for days, if not longer.

4. To dock a vessel to repair damage. A noun or pronoun can be used between "lay" and "up." You need to lay that boat up and fix the sail.

5. To intentionally restrict one's golf swing, as to avoid an obstacle. I laid up so that I wouldn't hit the rogue golf cart.

See also: lay, up

layup

basketball A shot made when a player is close to the basket, often by banking the ball off the backboard. The other team's defensive breakdown allowed me to score an easy layup.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

lay someone up

to cause someone to be ill in bed. A broken leg laid me up for two months. Flu laid up everyone at work for a week or more.

See also: lay, up

lay something up

 

1. to acquire and store something. Try to lay as much of it up as you can. I am trying to lay up some firewood for the winter.

2. [for something] to disable something. The accident laid up the ship for repairs. A wreck laid the bus up for months.

See also: lay, up

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

lay up

v.

1. To store or stock something for future use: We must lay up many supplies for our long journey. We bought a bushel of seed and laid half of it up for planting next year.

2. To confine someone with an illness or injury: A bad flu can lay you up for two weeks. Yellow fever laid up many of the people who worked on the Panama Canal. I was laid up for a month.

3. To put some sailing vessel in dock, as for repairs: We laid up the ship in Anchorage for six months. Let's lay the boat up at the next port.

4. To dock for repairs: The sailboat laid up in Charleston to have the rigging fixed.

5. To hit a golf shot less far than one is able so as to avoid a hazard: I was afraid of hitting the sand trap, so I laid up a bit.

See also: lay, up

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.