lay up
B2Informal (confine/disable meaning); Technical (manufacturing, basketball).
Definition
Meaning
To store or put something aside for future use; to disable or confine someone, especially due to illness or injury.
In manufacturing, to produce goods in advance and store them; in basketball, to make a specific type of close-range shot.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term has a strong nuance of creating a future store (physical goods, health consequences). The passive 'laid up' is very common for the 'confined' sense. 'Lay up' is a phrasal verb, while 'layup' (one word) is the noun for the basketball shot.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The 'disable/confine' sense is equally common. The manufacturing sense ('lay up stock') is more frequent in business contexts in both. The basketball term 'layup' is universal, but the verb 'to lay up a shot' is primarily AmE.
Connotations
Slightly more medical/nautical in UK usage ('laid up in dock/hospital'). In AmE, the basketball association is immediate and strong.
Frequency
Higher overall frequency in AmE due to the basketball term.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] lays up [Object] (e.g., They laid up food.)[Subject] is laid up with [Illness/Injury] (e.g., He's laid up with flu.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Lay up treasure in heaven”
- “Lay up a rod for one's own back”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The factory will lay up inventory ahead of the holiday season."
Academic
"The policy of laying up grain reserves mitigated the famine."
Everyday
"I've been laid up with a bad back all week."
Technical
"The player drove to the basket to lay up the ball." (Basketball)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We should lay up some firewood before the winter.
- The ship was laid up in Liverpool for repairs.
American English
- The team laid up enough food for the expedition.
- He's been laid up since his knee surgery.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My dad is laid up with a cold.
- Squirrels lay up nuts for the winter.
- The strike forced the company to lay up half its fleet.
- Critics accused the government of laying up problems for the future by not investing in infrastructure.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a ship LAYing in the harbour, UP on blocks for storage – it's 'laid up'. You LAY supplies UP on a high shelf for later.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE FUTURE IS A STORAGE CONTAINER (laying up provisions); ILLNESS IS A CAPTOR (being laid up).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'lay down' (положить). 'Lay up' for storage is closer to 'запасать', 'откладывать'. For the illness sense, use 'вывести из строя', 'приковать к постели'. The basketball term is 'бросок из-под кольца'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'lie up' (incorrect – 'lie' is intransitive).
- Confusing 'lay up' (store/disable) with 'lay off' (make redundant).
- Writing 'layup' when using the verb form.
Practice
Quiz
In a basketball commentary, 'He missed an easy lay up' refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Lay up' implies storing for a specific future need, often with a sense of accumulation. 'Lay in' simply means to acquire a supply of something.
No, it can refer to any temporary state of inactivity or confinement. Machines, vehicles, or ships can also be 'laid up' for maintenance.
Yes, in the sense of wisely preparing for the future (e.g., laying up savings). However, it often has a negative connotation of enforced inactivity.
The past tense and past participle are both 'laid up' (e.g., He laid up supplies. He was laid up.).