A lair is a wild animal's den. If you ever find yourself in a forest and face to face with a bear trying to lure you into his lair, beware! He may be plotting to eat you.
The noun lair has its roots in the Old English leger, meaning “bed, couch, place of lying down.” It eventually became an “animal’s den” in the early 15th century. A person can have a lair, too, like the photo-covered basement of a serial killer, or a less scary person might have a cozy lair lined with plush carpet. Always poke a stick into a lair before going in, because you never know what sort of beast is lurking inside.
