lair
n. countablen. a secret or private place where a wild animal lives or where someone goes to hide. It is often used to describe the home of a dangerous creature or a villain.
n. the den or resting place of a wild animal; by extension, a secluded or secret hideout used by a person. Often carries a connotation of danger, secrecy, or predatory behavior.
The bear returned to its lair to sleep for the winter.
In the movie, the villain plans his next move from a high-tech lair hidden deep inside a volcano.
The detective spent weeks tracking the suspect, eventually discovering a cramped basement apartment that served as the criminal's lair and primary base of operations.
From Middle English leir, leire, lair, lare, from Old English leġer (“couch, bed”), from Proto-Germanic legrą, from Proto-Indo-European legʰ-.
From Old Norse leir (“clay, mud”). Compare Icelandic leir (“clay”).
Backformation from lairy.
Often used metaphorically in fiction to describe the headquarters of an antagonist.