# waylay

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˌweɪˈleɪ/

## Definitions
1. To lie in wait for and attack from ambush.
2. To accost or intercept unexpectedly.

## Etymology
From way + lay, likely a calque of Middle Dutch wegelagen (“besetting of ways, lying in wait with evil or hostile intent along public ways”). Compare Middle Low German wegelagen, German wegelagern (“to waylay; rob”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/waylay