lair en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈlɜː(ɹ)/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
- /ˈle̝ə̯/ without the cheer–chair merger
- [ˈleːɾ] (Scotland)
- [ˈle̝ə̯] without the cheer–chair merger
- /ˈliə̯/ cheer–chair merger
- /ˈleː/ (Australia)
- /ˈlɛɚ/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
- /ˈlɛə̯/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈlɛː] (General-South-African)
- [ˈliə̯] cheer–chair merger
- [ˈlɛː] (British, Southern, Standard)
- [ˈlɛə̯] ~ [ˈlɛː] (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈleɾ/ (Scotland)
- [ˈlɜː(ɹ)] Lancashire, fair–fur merger
- [ˈleː] (Australia)
- /ˈlɛː/ (General-South-African)
- /ˈlɛː/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- [ˈlɛɚ] ~ [ˈlɛɹ̩] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
Etymology
From Middle English leir, leire, lair, lare, from Old English leġer (“couch, bed”), from Proto-Germanic *legrą, from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ-.
Meanings
-
A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.
“Would you go into the dragon's lair, my peerless Wiglaf?”
1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 47:O dainty dew, O morning dew / That gleamed in the world's first dawn, did you / And the sweet grass and manful oaks / Give lair and rest / To him who toadwise sits and croaks / His death-behest?
a. 1881, Sidney Lanier, Strange Jokes:
- A shed or shelter for domestic animals.
-
(figuratively) A place inhabited by a criminal or criminals, a superhero or a supervillain; a refuge, retreat, haven or hideaway.
...Van Helsing stood up and said, "Now, my dear friends, we go forth to our terrible enterprise. Are we all armed, as we were on that night when first we visited our enemy's lair. Armed against ghostly as well as carnal attack?"
1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable and Company, […], →OCLC:[H]e did a little scout work, and discovered the lair of that old woman.
1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 41:
-
(UK, dialectal) A bed or resting place.
Wake ye, sleep ye, my hapless boy, In this homeless house of care? Lack ye the warmth of a mother's eye On the cauldrife, lonely lair?
1843 June 14, William Thom, “Extract from a Letter to J. Robertson, Esq.”, in Rhymes and Recollections of a Hand-loom Weaver, 3rd edition, London: Smith, Elder and Co., published 1847, page 136:Then would I in Plenty's lap, For the first time take a nap; Falling back in easy lair, Sweetly slumb'ring in my chair;
1820, John Clare, “Address to Plenty in Winter”, in Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery, page 50:
-
(Scotland) A grave; a cemetery plot.
[…] but few knew the reason, and some thought it was because the deceased were strangers, and had no regular lair. I dressed the two bonny orphans in the best mourning at my own cost […]
1821, John Galt, Annals of the parish, or, The chronicle of Dalmaling, xlix (page 205 in the 1908 edition)We appreciate that this is a sensitive issue for lair owners and would like to assure them that the maintenance of the cemetery is carried out in a sensitive and dignified manner.
2018 August 2, BBC News, quoting Aberdeen City Council, “Dad 'will sleep by son's grave' to stop council clearing mementoes”, in BBC News:This is one of the 'lairs' of the Harknesses of Holestain and Haprig.
1849, The Edinburgh topographical, traditional and antiquarian magazine, page 114:[…] I would purchase a lair in the Necropolis, and have wee Johnnie removed from his humble resting-place, and laid down [there].
1862, George Roy, Generalship; a Tale, page 58:
- A group where pickup artists meet to discuss and practise seduction techniques.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lairs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
lairlike · lairless · lair-stone (grave)
Synonyms
burrow (of an animal) · holt (of an animal) · den (of an animal) · den (of a criminal) · hide-out (of a criminal)
Translations (89)
la lustrum (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · hu búvóhely (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · pt covil (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · sl brlog (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · fr antre (of an animal) · oj waazh (of an animal) · ro vizuină (of an animal) · cmn 獸穴 /兽穴 (of an animal) · la lustrum (of an animal) · eu zulo (of an animal) · el λημέρι (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · sh бр́лог (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · hy որջ (of an animal) · ka ბუნაგი (of an animal) · lv miga (of an animal) · ga cró folaigh (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · it covo (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · ga leaba dhearg (of an animal) · pt toca (of an animal) · ja 巣窟 (of an animal) · grc φωλεός (of an animal) · es madriguera (of an animal) · sh bŕlog (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · hi मांद (of an animal) · ru ло́гово (of an animal) · ru берло́га (of an animal) · nl schuilplaats (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · da hi (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · mi kuhunga (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · de Bau (of an animal) · da leje (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · it tana (of an animal) · da hule (of an animal) · fi piilo (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · pt esconderijo (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · bg бърлога (of an animal) · ka სორო (of an animal) · sv gryt (of an animal) · sv håla (of an animal) · nn hi (of an animal) · sh jȁzbina (of an animal) · hu odú (of an animal) · ru прито́н (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · da rede (of an animal) · sk brloh (of an animal) · ru нора́ (of an animal) · nb hi (of an animal) · ota این (of an animal) · es guarida (of an animal) · da skjul (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · he מְאוּרָה (of an animal) · nl hol (of an animal) · sh jȁma (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · fr repaire (of an animal) · ca cau (of an animal) · cmn 巢穴 (of an animal) · sl brlog (of an animal) · sv lya (of an animal) · fr antre (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · cs doupě (of an animal) · hu vacok (of an animal) · sv kula (of an animal) · hu rejtekhely (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · da hi (of an animal) · fi piilopaikka (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · fr tanière (of an animal) · bg скривалище (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · sh ја̏збина (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · sh jȁzbina (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · ba өң (of an animal) · es escondite (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · sh ја̏ма (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · tr kovuk (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · cmn 獸窟 /兽窟 (of an animal) · nl leger (of an animal) · sh ја̏збина (of an animal) · es guarida (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · ga brocais (of an animal) · cmn 獸窩 /兽窝 (of an animal) · bg леговище (of an animal) · el κρησφύγετο (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · oj waanzh (of an animal) · eu gordeleku (of an animal) · sv bohåla (of an animal) · ba оя (of an animal) · ca cau (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.) · fi pesä (of an animal) · de Höhle (of an animal) · ru ло́гово (of a criminal, hero/superhero etc.)