to strike blows; attack violently: When the mob became unruly, the police began to lay on.
c.
Nautical. to sail toward.
d.
Nautical. to row (an oar) with a full stroke.
e.
Slang. to tell, impart, or give to: Let me lay a little good advice on you.
f.
Chiefly BritishInformal. to provide as a gift, bonus, or treat; give; treat: The owners laid on a Christmas dinner for the employees.
53.
lay open,
a.
to cut open: to lay open an area of tissue with a scalpel.
b.
to expose; reveal: Her autobiography lays open shocking facts about her childhood.
c.
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,
a.
to extend at length.
b.
to spread out in order; arrange; prepare.
c.
to plan; plot; design.
d.
to ready (a corpse) for burial.
e.
Informal. to spend or contribute (money).
f.
Slang. to knock (someone) down or unconscious.
g.
Slang. to scold vehemently; reprimand: Whenever I come home late from school, my mom really lays me out.
h.
to make a layout of.
i.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.to absent oneself from school or work without permission or justification; play hooky.
55.
lay over,
a.
to be postponed until action may be taken: The vote will have to be laid over until next week.
b.
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,
a.
Nautical. to check the motion of (a ship).
b.
Nautical. to put (a ship) in a dock or other place of safety.
c.
to attack vigorously.
d.
to put forth effort; apply oneself.
57.
lay up,
a.
to put away for future use; store up.
b.
to cause to be confined to bed or kept indoors; disable.
c.
Nautical. to retire (a ship) from active use.
d.
Nautical. (of a ship) to be retired from active use.
e.
to construct (a masonry structure): The masons laid the outer walls up in Flemish bond.
f.
to apply (alternate layers of a material and a binder) to form a bonded material.
—Idioms
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,
a.
to strike or aim blows in every direction.
b.
to proceed to do; set about.
61.
lay a course,
a.
Nautical. to sail in the desired direction without tacking.
b.
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, esp. 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.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME layen,leggen, OE lecgan (causative of licgan to lie2); c. D leggen, G legen, ON legja, Goth lagjan]
—Synonyms 1. deposit. See put.21, 22. calm, still, quiet.
—Usage note Lay1 and lie2 are often confused. Lay is most commonly a transitive verb and takes an object. Its forms are regular. If “place” or “put” can be substituted in a sentence, a form of lay is called for: Lay the folders on the desk. The mason is laying brick. She laid the baby in the crib. Lay also has many intransitive senses, among them “to lay eggs” (The hens have stopped laying), and it forms many phrasal verbs, such as lay off “to dismiss (from employment)” or “to stop annoying or teasing” and lay over “to make a stop.” Lie, with the overall senses “to be in a horizontal position, recline” and “to rest, remain, be situated, etc.,” is intransitive and takes no object. Its forms are irregular; its past tense form is identical with the present tense or infinitive form of lay: Lie down, children. Abandoned cars were lying along the road. The dog lay in the shade and watched the kittens play. The folders have lain on the desk since yesterday. In all but the most careful, formal speech, forms of lay are commonly heard in senses normally associated with lie. In edited written English such uses of lay are rare and are usually considered nonstandard: Lay down, children. The dog laid in the shade. Abandoned cars were laying along the road. The folders have laid on the desk since yesterday.
To place in or bring to a particular position: lay the cloth over the painting.
To bury.
To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope.
To make in this manner: lay up cable.
To cause to be in a particular condition: The remark laid him open to criticism.
To put or set down: lay new railroad track.
To produce and deposit: lay eggs.
To cause to subside; calm or allay: "chas'd the clouds ... and laid the winds"(John Milton).
To put up to or against: lay an ear to the door.
To put forward as a reproach or an accusation: They laid the blame on us.
To put or set in order or readiness for use: lay the table for lunch.
To devise; contrive: lay plans.
To spread over a surface: lay paint on a canvas.
To place or give (importance): lay stress on clarity of expression.
To impose as a burden or punishment: lay a penalty upon the offender.
To present for examination: lay a case before a committee.
To put forward as a demand or an assertion: laid claim to the estate.
Games To place (a bet); wager.
To aim (a gun or cannon).
To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope.
To make in this manner: lay up cable.
Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with.
v.
intr.
To produce and deposit eggs.
To bet; wager.
Nonstandard To lie.
To engage energetically in an action.
Nautical To put oneself into the position indicated.
n.
The direction the strands of a rope or cable are twisted in: a left lay.
The amount of such twist.
Sexual intercourse.
A partner in sexual intercourse.
The state of one that lays eggs: a hen coming into lay.
Vulgar Slang
Sexual intercourse.
A partner in sexual intercourse.
To give up; abandon: lay aside all hope of rescue.
To save for the future.
To reserve for the future; save.
To put aside and hold for future delivery.
To save for future use.
Nautical To remain stationary while heading into the wind.
To give up and surrender: laid down their arms.
To specify: laid down the rules.
To store for the future.
Nonstandard To lie down.
To scold sharply.
To attack physically; beat up.
To terminate the employment of (a worker), especially temporarily.
To mark off: lay off an area for a garden.
Slang To stop doing something; quit.
Games To place all or a part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie in order to reduce the risk.
To apply (something) by or as if by spreading onto a flat surface: laid on a thick Southern accent.
To prepare, usually in an elaborate fashion; arrange: laid on cocktails for 50 at the last minute.
Slang To present or reveal to; confront with: "went around talking to people about anything until he could lay his standard question on them"(John Vinocur).
To make a detailed plan for.
To clothe and prepare (a corpse) for burial.
To rebuke harshly: She laid me out for breaking the vase.
To knock to the ground or unconscious.
To expend; spend: lay out a fortune on jewelry.
To display: lay out merchandise; lay the merchandise out.
To bring (a ship) to a stop in open water.
To remain stationary while heading into the wind.
To stock for future use: lay up supplies for a long journey.
Informal To confine with an illness or injury: was laid up for a month.
Nautical To put (a ship) in dock, as for repairs.
Sports To hit a golf shot less far than one is able so as to avoid a hazard.
Phrasal Verb(s): lay about
To strike blows on all sides.
lay aside
To give up; abandon: lay aside all hope of rescue.
To save for the future.
lay away
To reserve for the future; save.
To put aside and hold for future delivery.
lay by
To save for future use.
Nautical To remain stationary while heading into the wind.
lay down
To give up and surrender: laid down their arms.
To specify: laid down the rules.
To store for the future.
Nonstandard To lie down.
lay for Informal
To be waiting to attack: Muggers lay for the unsuspecting pedestrian in the dark alley. lay in
To store for future use: lay in supplies for an Arctic winter. lay into Slang
To scold sharply.
To attack physically; beat up.
lay off
To terminate the employment of (a worker), especially temporarily.
To mark off: lay off an area for a garden.
Slang To stop doing something; quit.
Games To place all or a part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie in order to reduce the risk.
lay on
To apply (something) by or as if by spreading onto a flat surface: laid on a thick Southern accent.
To prepare, usually in an elaborate fashion; arrange: laid on cocktails for 50 at the last minute.
Slang To present or reveal to; confront with: "went around talking to people about anything until he could lay his standard question on them"(John Vinocur).
lay out
To make a detailed plan for.
To clothe and prepare (a corpse) for burial.
To rebuke harshly: She laid me out for breaking the vase.
To knock to the ground or unconscious.
To expend; spend: lay out a fortune on jewelry.
To display: lay out merchandise; lay the merchandise out.
lay over
To make a stopover in the course of a journey.
lay to Nautical
To bring (a ship) to a stop in open water.
To remain stationary while heading into the wind.
lay up
To stock for future use: lay up supplies for a long journey.
Informal To confine with an illness or injury: was laid up for a month.
Nautical To put (a ship) in dock, as for repairs.
Sports To hit a golf shot less far than one is able so as to avoid a hazard.
Idiom(s):
lay down the law
To assert positively and often arrogantly.
Idiom(s):
lay it on thick Informal
To exaggerate; overstate.
To flatter effusively.
Idiom(s):
lay of the land
The nature, arrangement, or disposition of something.
Idiom(s):
lay rubber Slang
To accelerate a motor vehicle suddenly from a halt to a high speed, thereby spinning the wheels and depositing on the road a thin film of burned rubber from the rear tire or tires.
Idiom(s):
lay waste
To ravage: Rebel troops laid waste the town.
[Middle English leien, from Old English lecgan; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: Lay ("to put, place, or prepare") and lie ("to recline or be situated") have been confused for centuries; evidence exists that lay has been used to mean "lie" since the 1300s. Why? First, there are two lays. One is the base form of the verb lay, and the other is the past tense of lie. Second, lay was once used with a reflexive pronoun to mean "lie" and survives in the familiar line from the child's prayer Now I lay me down to sleep; lay me down is easily shortened to lay down. Third, lay down, as in She lay down on the sofa sounds the same as laid down, as in I laid down the law to the kids. · Lay and lie are most easily distinguished by usage. Lay is a transitive verb and takes a direct object. Lay and its principal parts (laid, laying) are correctly used in the following examples: He laid (not lay) the newspaper on the table. The table was laid for four. Lie is an intransitive verb and cannot take an object. Lie and its principal parts (lay, lain, lying) are correctly used in the following examples: She often lies (not lays) down after lunch. When I lay (not laid) down, I fell asleep. The rubbish had lain (not laid) there a week. I was lying (not laying) in bed when he called. · There are a few exceptions to these rules. The phrasal verb lay for and the nautical use of lay, as in lay at anchor, though intransitive, are standard.
pp. of lay (v.). Laid-up "injured, sick," originally was a nautical term (1769) describing a ship moored in harbor. Laid off "temporarily unemployed" is from 1955. Laid-back "relaxed" is first attested 1973, perhaps in reference to the posture of highway motorcyclists.
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Audio Help [ley] Pronunciation Key verb, laid, lay·ing, noun 
