lay by

To keep money or supplies so you can use them later.

• We lay by a little money monthly.
• He laid by enough food for winter.
• Have you laid anything by for retirement?

How to use it: lay something by (She laid some money by for winter.)

Similar words: save, set aside, put away

Opposites: spend

Common phrases: lay by money, lay by supplies

To keep a sailing boat nearly still with its front pointing into the wind.

• The ship laid by.
• We laid by until the storm passed.
• The captain ordered the vessel to lay by.

Similar words: heave to

Common phrases: lay by offshore, lay by overnight

To work the soil around a crop for the last time before leaving it to grow.

• We lay by the corn today.
• They laid by the cotton last week.
• The crop grew undisturbed after the farmers laid it by.

How to use it: lay a crop by (The farmer laid the corn by in June.)

Common phrases: lay by corn, lay by cotton