Pronunciation: /ˈleɪˌʌp/

Definitions of lay-up

noun a basketball shot made by leaping from the ground close to the basket and releasing the ball with one hand

Example Sentences

A1 I practiced my lay-up in basketball practice.

A2 She scored a lay-up during the game.

B1 The coach emphasized the importance of mastering the lay-up technique.

B2 His lay-up skills have greatly improved since last season.

C1 The player executed a flawless lay-up under pressure.

C2 Her signature move is the behind-the-back lay-up, which always impresses the crowd.

verb to make a lay-up shot in basketball

Example Sentences

A1 She lays up her clothes neatly in the drawer.

A2 He laid up some food for the winter in case of emergencies.

B1 The carpenter is laying up the bricks for the new wall.

B2 The chef laid up a delicious meal for the special event.

C1 The company is laying up funds for future expansion.

C2 The artist laid up a collection of paintings for the upcoming exhibition.

Examples of lay-up in a Sentence

formal The basketball player executed a perfect lay-up during the game.

informal He made an easy lay-up in the game yesterday.

slang She nailed that lay-up like a pro!

figurative Making a lay-up in this project is just the first step towards success.

Grammatical Forms of lay-up

past tense

laid

plural

lay-ups

comparative

more lay-up

superlative

most lay-up

present tense

lay-up

future tense

will lay-up

perfect tense

have laid-up

continuous tense

is laying-up

singular

lay-up

positive degree

lay-up

infinitive

to lay-up

gerund

laying-up

participle

laid-up

Origin and Evolution of lay-up

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The word 'lay-up' originated from Middle English, specifically from the verb 'to lay' and the particle 'up'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of laying something up or storing it away, the term 'lay-up' evolved to refer to a basketball shot taken close to the basket without dribbling. It has since become a common term in basketball terminology.