noun · B1

Lay-By

LAYB-eye/ˈleɪbaɪ/

A lay-by (id: lay-by) is a short extra strip beside a UK main road where you can pull off and stop. It is not a car park and not a motorway service station. US English has no exact everyday match; a turnout or rest area is only roughly similar. Hyphenated. Countable: a lay-by / two lay-bys.

Meaning

A short extra strip beside a main road where a driver can stop (UK).

Examples

“We pulled into a lay-by to check the map.”
“Do not leave valuables on the seat if you nap in a lay-by.”
“The food van parks in the lay-by on the A-road every Friday.”

Good to know

a lay-by (UK, hyphenated). Contrast: a car park / a service station. Pull into a lay-by.

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