Standard Lemma guide

layover

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈleɪˌəʊvə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L EY1 OW2 V ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A break between stages of a journey.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, Philippines, US

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: stopover, stayover (both sometimes synonymous)
  • We had a layover while waiting to change planes, so we stretched our legs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lie-over, stopover, stayover

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a brief stay in the course of a journey

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they made a stopover to visit their friends

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stop, stopover

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stay

Narrower terms: night-stop, pit stop, stand

History

Etymology

From lay + over.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: ترانزيت (trānzēt) — break between stages of a journey
  • Arabic: ترانزيت (trānzīt) — break between stages of a journey
  • Bulgarian: спиране (spirane) — break between stages of a journey
  • Bulgarian: престой (prestoj) — break between stages of a journey
  • Chinese Mandarin: 臨時滯留 /临时滞留 — break between stages of a journey
  • Danish: mellemlanding — break between stages of a journey
  • Dutch: tussenstop — break between stages of a journey
  • Estonian: ümberistumine — break between stages of a journey
  • Finnish: välilasku — break between stages of a journey
  • French: escale — break between stages of a journey
  • German: Aufenthalt — break between stages of a journey
  • Hungarian: várakozás — break between stages of a journey
  • Hungarian: pihenő — break between stages of a journey
  • Indonesian: singgah — break between stages of a journey
  • Italian: scalo — break between stages of a journey
  • Japanese: 待ち合わせ (machiawase) — break between stages of a journey
  • Portuguese: escala — break between stages of a journey
  • Russian: остано́вка (ostanóvka) — break between stages of a journey
  • Slovene: postanek — break between stages of a journey
  • Spanish: escala — break between stages of a journey
  • Spanish: parada en el camino — break between stages of a journey
  • Spanish: transbordo — break between stages of a journey
  • Spanish: enlace — break between stages of a journey
  • Spanish: enlazamiento — break between stages of a journey
  • Swedish: mellanlandning — break between stages of a journey
  • Swedish: uppehåll — break between stages of a journey
  • Telugu: మజిలీ (majilī) — break between stages of a journey