noun

lair

lair, den

The bear returned to its lair.

The bear returned to its lair.

The villain's secret lair was in the mountains.

The villain's secret lair was in the mountains.

((a/the)) lair a place The fox has a lair under the rocks.

((sb.'s)) lair someone's secret place It was the wizard's secret lair.

Synonyms: den, hideout, burrow, nest

From Old English 'leger' meaning 'bed, couch', related to 'licgan' meaning 'to lie'.

A 'lair' is where an animal or a villain 'lies' in wait. It sounds a bit like 'layer', as in a hidden layer of a place.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.