To waylay someone means to stop them along their path, either to attack them or to catch them when they're trying to avoid you. The word comes from old highway robbery days, when bandits would hide beside a road and ambush travelers passing by.

Today, we use waylay mostly in less dramatic situations. A reporter might waylay a senator in a hallway to ask questions the senator doesn't want to answer. A student might waylay their teacher after class to discuss a grade. Your parents might waylay you as you're heading out the door to ask where you're going. In all these cases, someone intercepts another person who's moving from one place to another.

The word suggests a bit of strategy or surprise: you position yourself where someone has to pass, then stop them before they can get away. If your friend keeps dodging your questions about borrowing your bike, you might waylay them at their locker before school. Unlike a planned meeting, waylaying involves catching someone who might prefer to slip past unnoticed.