Nearby Words

waylaid

[wey-leyd, wey-leyd] Origin

way·laid

[wey-leyd, wey-leyd]
verb
simple past tense and past participle of waylay.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

way·lay

[wey-ley, wey-ley]
verb (used with object), -laid, -lay·ing.
1.
to intercept or attack from ambush, as in order to rob, seize, or slay.
2.
to await and accost unexpectedly: The actor was waylaid by a swarm of admirers.

Origin:
1505–15; way1 + lay1, after Middle Low German, Middle Dutch wegelagen to lie in wait, derivative of wegelage a lying in wait

way·lay·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

waylay
"to ambush," 1513, from way + lay (v.), on model of M.L.G., M.Du. wegelagen "besetting of ways, lying in wait with evil or hostile intent along public ways."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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