layaway

1 of 2

noun

lay·​away ˈlā-ə-ˌwā 

: a purchasing agreement by which a retailer agrees to hold merchandise secured by a deposit until the price is paid in full by the customer

lay away

2 of 2

verb

laid away; laying away; lays away

transitive verb

: to put aside for future use or delivery

Synonyms

Verb

• cache
• hoard
• lay by
• lay in
• lay up
• put by
• salt away
• squirrel (away)
• stash
• stockpile
• store
• stow
• treasure

Examples of layaway in a Sentence

Noun

We bought the table and chairs on layaway, so we won't have them until December.

The store offers a layaway plan for large purchases.

Verb

the weather forecast warned of a severe storm, so we laid away a generous supply of bottled water and canned food just in case

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And unlike layaway, shoppers get their purchases immediately. —Nancy Chen, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2023

Americans have used layaway programs since the Great Depression. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2023

Verb

Yet, despite the tannins, Freisa is not a wine to lay away in most examples, but rather one that should be enjoyed early on, often chilled, with soups, seafood or lighter meats. —Tom Hyland, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1944, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

layaway

1 of 2 noun

lay·​away ˈlā-ə-ˌwā 

: a purchasing agreement by which a seller agrees to hold merchandise on which a deposit has been made until the price is paid in full by the buyer

lay away

2 of 2 verb

ˈlā-ə-ˈwā

: to put aside for future use or delivery