Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “layoff” come from?

Layoff derives from the phrasal verb lay off, which emerged in English from lay, meaning to place or cause to lie down, combined with off.

layoff (English): A dismissal of employees from their jobs because...

Definitions

  1. A dismissal of employees from their jobs because...

Ancestry of “layoff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishlay offTo dismiss from employment, e.g. at a time of...

Words derived from “layoff”

  • postlayoff
Every word from English lay off →