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lay

lay¹ definition

lay (lā)

transitive verb laid, laying lay′·ing

to cause to come down or fall with force; knock down, as from an erect position a blow laid him low
to cause to lie; place or put so as to be in a resting or recumbent position; deposit: often with on or in lay the pen on the desk
1. to put down or place (bricks, carpeting, etc.) in the correct position or way for a specific purpose
2. to cause to be situated in a particular place or condition the scene is laid in France
3. to establish or prepare as a basis or for use to lay the groundwork
4. to arrange the fuel in a fireplace for (a fire)
to place; put; set: esp. of something abstract to lay emphasis on accuracy
to produce and deposit (an egg or eggs)
1. to cause to subside or settle lay the dust
2. to allay, suppress, overcome, or appease to lay a ghost, lay one's fears
to press or smooth down to lay the nap of cloth
to bet (a specified sum, etc.)
to impose or place (a tax, penalty, etc. on or upon)
to work out; devise to lay plans
to prepare (a table) for a meal; set with silverware, plates, etc.
to advance, present, or assert to lay claim to property, to lay a matter before the voters
to attribute; ascribe; charge; impute to lay the blame on someone
to arrange and twist together (strands) so as to form (rope, yarn, etc.)
☆ Slang to have sexual intercourse with
Mil. to aim (a gun) by adjusting its direction and elevation

Etymology: ME leyen, new formation < 3d pers. sing. of earlier leggen < OE lecgan, lit., to make lie (akin to Goth lagjan, Ger legen) < pt. base of OE licgan, to lie

intransitive verb

to lay an egg or eggs
to bet; wager
to lie; recline: a dialectal or substandard usage
Dialectal to get ready; plan laying to rob a store
Naut. to go; proceed all hands, lay aft to the fantail!

noun

the way or position in which something is situated or arranged the lay of the land
☆ a share in the profits of some enterprise, esp. of a whaling expedition
the direction or amount of twist of the strands of a rope, cable, etc.
☆ Informal terms of employment, a sale, etc.
☆ Slang
1. an instance of sexual intercourse
2. a person regarded as a sexual partner
Chiefly Brit., Slang one's occupation, esp. as a criminal

lay Idioms

lay about one

to deliver blows on all sides; strike out in every direction

lay a course

Naut. to proceed in a certain direction without the need for tacking
to make plans to do something

lay aside

to put to one side; lay out of the way
to save; lay away

lay away

to set aside for future use; save
☆ to set (merchandise) aside for future delivery
☆ to bury: usually in the passive

lay by

to save; lay away
Dialectal
1. ☆ to cultivate (a crop) for the last time
2. to harvest and store (a crop or crops)

lay down

to sacrifice or give up (one's life)
to assert or declare emphatically
to bet; wager
to store away, as wine in a cellar

lay for

Informal to be waiting to attack

lay in

to get and store away

lay into

Slang

to attack and hit repeatedly; beat
to attack with words; scold

lay it on (thick)

Informal

to exaggerate
to express praise effusively

lay off

to put (a garment, etc.) aside
☆ to put (an employee) out of work, esp. temporarily
to mark off the boundaries of
☆ Slang
1. to cease
2. to stop criticizing, teasing, etc.
3. to stop for a rest
Slang to transfer part of (a bet) to another bookmaker so as to minimize risk: said of a bookmaker

lay on

to spread on
to attack with force; strike repeatedly

lay oneself open

to expose oneself to attack, blame, etc.

lay open

to open up; cut open
to expose; uncover

lay out

to spend
to arrange according to a plan
to spread out (clothes, equipment, etc.) ready for wear, inspection, etc.
to make (a corpse) ready for burial and for viewing, as at a wake
Slang to knock down or make unconscious
Slang to scold or censure (someone)

lay over

☆ to stop a while in a place before going on

lay something on someone

Slang

to tell something to someone
to give something to someone

lay to

to attribute to; credit to or blame on
to apply oneself with vigor
Naut.
1. to check a ship's forward motion, esp. by bringing the bow into the wind
2. to lie more or less stationary with the bow to the wind: now usually lie to

lay to rest

to bury; inter

lay up

to store for future use; hoard
to disable; confine to bed or the sickroom laid up with the flu
to take (a ship) out of operation, as by putting into a dry dock for repairs

lay² definition

lay (lā)

intransitive verb

lie

lay³ definition

lay (lā)

adjective

of or consisting of the laity, or ordinary people, as distinguished from the clergy
not belonging to or connected with a given profession; nonprofessional a legal handbook for lay readers

Etymology: ME lai < OFr < LL(Ec) laicus, lay, not priestly < Gr laikos < laos, the people

lay⁴ definition

lay (lā)

noun