an act of making people unemployed because there is no more work left for them to do; an example of this （因工作不多的）解雇，裁员◆They announced the temporary lay-off of 8 000 car workers. 他们宣布暂时解雇 8 000 名汽车工人。◆There may be more lay-offs at the factory. 这家工厂可能裁员更多。
a period of time when sb is not working or not doing sth that they normally do regularly 歇工期；停工期◆an eight-week lay-off with a broken leg 因腿部骨折停工休养八周