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Definitions for Lay

[1] to put or place in a horizontal position or position of rest; set down: to lay a book on a desk.
[2] to knock or beat down, as from an erect position; strike or throw to the ground: One punch laid him low.
[3] to put or place in a particular position: The dog laid its ears back.
[4] to cause to be in a particular state or condition: Their motives were laid bare.
[5] to set, place, or apply (often followed by to or on ): to lay hands on a child.
[6] to dispose or place in proper position or in an orderly fashion: to lay bricks.
[7] to place on, along, or under a surface: to lay a pipeline.
[8] to establish as a basis; set up: to lay the foundations for further negotiations.
[9] to present or submit for notice or consideration: I laid my case before the commission.
[10] to present, bring forward, or make, as a claim or charge.
[11] to impute, attribute, or ascribe: to lay blame on the inspector.
[12] to bury: They laid him in the old churchyard.
[13] to bring forth and deposit (an egg or eggs).
[14] to impose as a burden, duty, penalty, or the like: to lay an embargo on oil shipments.
[15] to place dinner service on (a table); set.
[16] to place on or over a surface, as paint; cover or spread with something else.
[17] to devise or arrange, as a plan.
[18] to deposit as a wager; bet: He laid $10 on the horse that won the third race.
[19] to set (a trap).
[20] to place, set, or locate: The scene is laid in France.
[21] to smooth down or make even: to lay the nap of cloth.
[22] to cause to subside: laying the clouds of dust with a spray of water.
[23] Slang : Vulgar . to have sexual intercourse with.
[24] to bring (a stick, lash, etc.) down, as on a person, in inflicting punishment.
[25] to form by twisting strands together, as a rope.
[26] Nautical . to move or turn (a sailing vessel) into a certain position or direction.
[27] to aim a cannon in a specified direction at a specified elevation.
[28] to put (dogs) on a scent.
[29] to lay eggs.
[30] to wager or bet.
[31] to apply oneself vigorously.
[32] to deal or aim blows vigorously (usually followed by on, at, about, etc.).
[33] Nonstandard . lie2.
[34] South Midland U.S. to plan or scheme (often followed by out ).
[35] Midland and Southern U.S. (of the wind) to diminish; subside: When the wind lays, it'll rain.
[36] Nautical . to take up a specified position, direction, etc.: to lay aloft; to lay close to the wind.
[37] the way or position in which a thing is laid or lies: the lay of the land.
[38] Slang : Vulgar . a partner in sexual intercourse. an instance of sexual intercourse.
[39] Ropemaking . the quality of a fiber rope characterized by the degree of twist, the angles formed by the strands, and the fibers in the strands.
[40] Also called lay-up, spread . (in the garment industry) multiple layers of fabric upon which a pattern or guide is placed for production-line cutting.
[41] Textiles . batten3(defs 1, 2) .
[42] a share of the profits or the catch of a whaling or fishing voyage, distributed to officers and crew.
[43] lay aside , to abandon; reject. to save for use at a later time; store: to lay aside some money every month.
[44] lay away , to reserve for later use; save. to hold merchandise pending final payment or request for delivery: to lay away a winter coat. to bury: They laid him away in the tomb.
[45] lay back , Slang . to relax.
[46] lay by , to put away for future use; store; save: She had managed to lay by money for college from her earnings as a babysitter. Nautical . (of a sailing vessel) to come to a standstill; heave to; lay to. Midland and Southern U.S. to tend (a crop) for the last time, leaving it to mature without further cultivation.
[47] lay down , to give up; yield: to lay down one's arms. to assert firmly; state authoritatively: to lay down rigid rules of conduct. to stock; store: to lay down wine. Shipbuilding . to draw at full size (the lines of a hull), as on the floor of a mold loft; lay off; loft.
[48] lay for , Informal . to wait for in order to attack or surprise; lie in wait for: The police are laying for him.
[49] lay in , to store away for future use: We laid in a supply of canned goods.
[50] lay into , Informal . to attack physically or verbally; assail: He laid into the opposition with fiery words.
[51] lay off , to dismiss (an employee), especially temporarily because of slack business. Informal . to cease or quit: He promised to lay off drinking. Slang . to stop annoying or teasing: Lay off me, will you? Informal . to stop work: They laid off at four and went home. to put aside or take off. to mark off; measure; plot. Slang . to give or hand over; pass on: They laid off their old sofa on the neighborhood recreation center. (of a bookmaker) to transfer all or part of (a wager) to other bookmakers in order to be protected against heavy losses. to get rid of or transfer (blame, responsibility, etc.): He tried to lay off the guilt for the crime on his son. Nautical . to sail away from. Nautical . to remain stationary at a distance from. Shipbuilding . lay1(def 47d) .
[52] lay on , to cover with; apply: to lay on a coat of wax. to strike blows; attack violently: When the mob became unruly, the police began to lay on. Nautical . to sail toward. Nautical . to row (an oar) with a full stroke. Slang . to tell, impart, or give to: Let me lay a little good advice on you. Chiefly British Informal . to provide as a gift, bonus, or treat; give; treat: The owners laid on a Christmas dinner for the employees.
[53] lay open , to cut open: to lay open an area of tissue with a scalpel. to expose; reveal: Her autobiography lays open shocking facts about her childhood. to expose or make vulnerable, as to blame, suspicion, or criticism: He was careful not to lay himself open to charges of partiality.
[54] lay out , to extend at length. to spread out in order; arrange; prepare. to plan; plot; design. to ready (a corpse) for burial. Informal . to spend or contribute (money). Slang . to knock (someone) down or unconscious. Slang . to scold vehemently; reprimand: Whenever I come home late from school, my mom really lays me out. to make a layout of. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to absent oneself from school or work without permission or justification; play hooky.
[55] lay over , to be postponed until action may be taken: The vote will have to be laid over until next week. to make a stop, as during a trip: We will have to lay over in Lyons on our way to the Riviera.
[56] lay to , Nautical . to check the motion of (a ship). Nautical . to put (a ship) in a dock or other place of safety. to attack vigorously. to put forth effort; apply oneself.
[57] lay up , to put away for future use; store up. to cause to be confined to bed or kept indoors; disable. Nautical . to retire (a ship) from active use. Nautical . (of a ship) to be retired from active use. to construct (a masonry structure): The masons laid the outer walls up in Flemish bond. to apply (alternate layers of a material and a binder) to form a bonded material.
[58] get laid , Slang : Vulgar . to have sexual intercourse.
[59] lay aboard , Nautical . (formerly, of a fighting ship) to come alongside (another fighting ship) in order to board.
[60] lay about one , to strike or aim blows in every direction. to proceed to do; set about.
[61] lay a course , Nautical . to sail in the desired direction without tacking. to proceed according to a plan.
[62] lay close , Nautical . (of a sailing vessel) to sail close to the wind.
[63] lay it on , to exaggerate in one's speech or actions, especially to engage in exaggerated flattery or reproof: She was glad to be told what a splendid person she was, but they didn't have to lay it on so much. Also lay it on thick.
[64] lay low . low1(defs 50, 51) .
[65] lay oneself out , Informal . to try one's best; make a great effort: They laid themselves out to see that the reception would be a success.
[66] lay siege to . siege(def 9) .
[67] simple past tense of lie2.
[68] belonging to, pertaining to, or performed by the people or laity, as distinguished from the clergy: a lay sermon.
[69] not belonging to, connected with, or proceeding from a profession, especially the law or medicine.
[70] a short narrative or other poem, especially one to be sung.
[71] a song.
[72] (on a loom) a movable frame that contains the shuttles, the race plate, and the reed, and that by its oscillating motion beats the filling yarn into place.
[73] any movable part of a loom.
[74] a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.
[75] something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.
[76] an inaccurate or false statement; a falsehood.
[77] the charge or accusation of telling a lie: He flung the lie back at his accusers.
[78] to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.
[79] to express what is false; convey a false impression.
[80] to bring about or affect by lying (often used reflexively): to lie oneself out of a difficulty; accustomed to lying his way out of difficulties.
[81] to be in a horizontal, recumbent, or prostrate position, as on a bed or the ground; recline.
[82] (of objects) to rest in a horizontal or flat position: The book lies on the table.
[83] to be or remain in a position or state of inactivity, subjection, restraint, concealment, etc.: to lie in ambush.
[84] to rest, press, or weigh (usually followed by on or upon ): These things lie upon my mind.
[85] to depend (usually followed by on or upon ).
[86] to be placed or situated: land lying along the coast.
[87] to be stretched out or extended: the broad plain that lies before us.
[88] to be in or have a specified direction; extend: The trail from here lies to the west.
[89] to be found or located in a particular area or place: The fault lies here.
[90] to consist or be grounded (usually followed by in ): The real remedy lies in education.
[91] to be buried in a particular spot: Their ancestors lie in the family plot.
[92] Law . to be sustainable or admissible, as an action or appeal.
[93] Archaic . to lodge; stay the night; sojourn.
[94] the manner, relative position, or direction in which something lies: the lie of the patio, facing the water.
[95] the haunt or covert of an animal.
[96] Golf . the position of the ball relative to how easy or how difficult it is to play.
[97] lie by , to pause for rest; stop activities, work, etc., temporarily. to lie unused: Ever since the last member of the family died, the old house has lain by.
[98] lie down , to assume a horizontal or prostrate position, as for the purpose of resting.
[99] lie in , to be confined to bed in childbirth. Chiefly British . to stay in bed longer than usual, especially in the morning.
[100] lie over , to be postponed for attention or action at some future time: The other business on the agenda will have to lie over until the next meeting.
[101] lie up , to lie at rest; stay in bed. (of a ship) to dock or remain in dock.
[102] lie with , to be the duty or function of: The decision in this matter lies with him. Archaic . to have sexual intercourse with.
[103] to put in a low or horizontal position; cause to lie to lay a cover on a bed
[104] to place, put, or be in a particular state or position he laid his finger on his lips
[105] (intr) not standard to be in a horizontal position; lie he often lays in bed all the morning
[106] (sometimes foll by down) to establish as a basis to lay a foundation for discussion
[107] to place or dispose in the proper position to lay a carpet
[108] to arrange (a table) for eating a meal
[109] to prepare (a fire) for lighting by arranging fuel in the grate
[110] (also intr) (of birds, esp the domestic hen) to produce (eggs)
[111] to present or put forward he laid his case before the magistrate
[112] to impute or attribute all the blame was laid on him
[113] to arrange, devise, or prepare to lay a trap
[114] to place, set, or locate the scene is laid in London
[115] to apply on or as if on a surface to lay a coat of paint
[116] to impose as a penalty or burden to lay a fine
[117] to make (a bet) with (someone) I lay you five to one on Prince
[118] to cause to settle to lay the dust
[119] to allay; suppress to lay a rumour
[120] to bring down forcefully to lay a whip on someone's back
[121] slang to have sexual intercourse with
[122] slang to bet on (a horse) to lose a race
[123] to press down or make smooth to lay the nap of cloth
[124] to cut (small trunks or branches of shrubs or trees) halfway through and bend them diagonally to form a hedge to lay a hedge
[125] to arrange and twist together (strands) in order to form (a rope, cable, etc)
[126] military to apply settings of elevation and training to (a weapon) prior to firing
[127] (foll by on) hunting to put (hounds or other dogs) onto a scent
[128] another word for inlay
[129] (intr; often foll by to or out) dialect , or informal to plan, scheme, or devise
[130] (intr) nautical to move or go, esp into a specified position or direction to lay close to the wind
[131] lay aboard nautical (formerly) to move alongside a warship to board it
[132] lay a course nautical to sail on a planned course without tacking to plan an action
[133] lay bare to reveal or explain he laid bare his plans
[134] lay hands on See hands (def. 12)
[135] lay hold of to seize or grasp
[136] lay oneself open to make oneself vulnerable (to criticism, attack, etc) by making such a statement he laid himself open to accusations of favouritism
[137] lay open to reveal or disclose
[138] lay siege to to besiege (a city, etc)
[139] the manner or position in which something lies or is placed
[140] taboo , slang an act of sexual intercourse a sexual partner
[141] a portion of the catch or the profits from a whaling or fishing expedition
[142] the amount or direction of hoist in the strands of a rope
[143] of, involving, or belonging to people who are not clergy
[144] nonprofessional or nonspecialist; amateur
[145] a ballad or short narrative poem, esp one intended to be sung
[146] a song or melody
[147] the past tense of lie 2
[148] Trygve Halvdan (ˈtryɡvə ˈhalðan). 1896–1968, Norwegian statesman; first secretary-general of the United Nations (1946–52)
[149] (intr) to speak untruthfully with intent to mislead or deceive
[150] (intr) to convey a false impression or practise deception the camera does not lie
[151] an untrue or deceptive statement deliberately used to mislead
[152] something that is deliberately intended to deceive
[153] give the lie to to disprove to accuse of lying
[154] (often foll by down) to place oneself or be in a prostrate position, horizontal to the ground
[155] to be situated, esp on a horizontal surface the pencil is lying on the desk ; India lies to the south of Russia
[156] to be buried here lies Jane Brown
[157] (copula) to be and remain (in a particular state or condition) to lie dormant
[158] to stretch or extend the city lies before us
[159] (usually foll by on or upon ) to rest or weigh my sins lie heavily on my mind
[160] (usually foll by in) to exist or consist inherently strength lies in unity
[161] (foll by with) to be or rest (with) the ultimate decision lies with you archaic to have sexual intercourse (with)
[162] (of an action, claim, appeal, etc) to subsist; be maintainable or admissible
[163] archaic to stay temporarily
[164] lie in state See state (def. 13)
[165] lie low to keep or be concealed or quiet to wait for a favourable opportunity
[166] the manner, place, or style in which something is situated
[167] the hiding place or lair of an animal
[168] golf the position of the ball after a shot a bad lie the angle made by the shaft of the club before the upswing
[169] lie of the land the topography of the land the way in which a situation is developing or people are behaving

Words related to Lay

secular, locate, plant, set, leave, settle, spread, stick, establish, arrange, offer, turn, train, impose, cast, apply, prepare, play, ordinary, temporal

Words nearby Lay

laxalt, laxation, laxative, laxity, laxness, lay, lay a finger on, lay a wager, lay about one, lay an egg, lay analyst

Origin of Lay

ie2before 900; Middle English lien, liggen, Old English licgan; cognate with German liegen, Dutch liggen, Old Norse liggja, Gothic ligan; akin to Greek léchesthai to lie down

Words that may be confused with Lay

WORDS, THAT, MAY, BE, CONFUSED, WITH, lielie, lye

Other words from Lay

Related adjective: mendacious

Word origin for Lay

ieOld English licgan akin to Old High German ligen to lie, Latin lectus bed

Synonyms for Lay

secular, ordinary, temporal, inexpert, nonclerical, nonprofessional, nonspecialist, unsacred