lie in wait (for someone)

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• lie in wait — 1. to stay hidden, ready to attack. Police said the suspect was lying in wait in a dark hallway. This person was found behind a wall, as if he were lying in wait for someone. 2. to delay doing something until the best time for it. The smart thing …   New idioms dictionary

• lie in wait — watch from hiding in order to attack or surprise someone The police decided to lie in wait for the bank robbers to appear at the bank …   Idioms and examples

• lie in wait — verb wait in hiding to attack (Freq. 1) • Syn: ↑ambush, ↑scupper, ↑bushwhack, ↑waylay, ↑lurk, ↑ambuscade • Derivationally related forms: ↑ambuscade …   Useful english dictionary

• lie — lie1 [ laı ] (present participle lying [ laııŋ ] ; past tense lay [ leı ] ; past participle lain [ leın ] ) verb intransitive *** ▸ 1 be/put yourself flat ▸ 2 be in place/on surface ▸ 3 in a competition ▸ 4 consist of ▸ 5 be in particular state ▸ …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• lie — I UK [laɪ] / US verb [intransitive] Word forms lie : present tense I/you/we/they lie he/she/it lies present participle lying UK [ˈlaɪɪŋ] / US past tense lay UK [leɪ] / US past participle lain UK [leɪn] / US *** 1) a) to be in a position in which… …   English dictionary

• wait — [wāt] vi. [ME waiten < NormFr waitier < Frank * wahten, to guard, akin to OHG wahta, a guard, watch: for IE base see WAKE1] 1. to stay in a place or remain in readiness or in anticipation (until something expected happens or for someone to… …   English World dictionary

• lie — lie1 W1S2 [laı] v past tense lay [leı] past participle lain [leın] present participle lying third person singular lies ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(flat position)¦ 2¦(exist)¦ 3¦(place)¦ 4¦(future)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• lie — 1 /laI/ verb present participle lyingpast tense lay, past participle lain /leIn/ 1 FLAT POSITION a) (intransitive always + adv/prep) to be in a position in which your body is flat on the floor, on a bed etc (+ on/in/there etc): He was lying on… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

• wait — 1 /weIt/ verb 1 DELAY/NOT START STH (I) to not do something or go somewhere until something else happens, someone arrives etc: Hurry up! Everyone s waiting. | Wait right here until I come back. | wait for sth/sb: We had to wait over an hour for… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

• wait — wait1 W1S1 [weıt] v ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(not go/start something)¦ 2¦(something has not happened)¦ 3 wait a minute/second/moment etc 4 somebody can t wait/can hardly wait 5 something can/can t wait 6 wait and see 7 wait until/till ... 8 be waiting (for… …   Dictionary of contemporary English