lay
1to put or place in a horizontal position or position of rest; set down: to lay a book on a desk.
to knock or beat down, as from an erect position; strike or throw to the ground: One punch laid him low.
to put or place in a particular position: The dog laid its ears back.
to cause to be in a particular state or condition: Their motives were laid bare.
to set, place, or apply (often followed by to or on): to lay hands on a child.
to dispose or place in proper position or in an orderly fashion: to lay bricks.
to place on, along, or under a surface: to lay a pipeline.
to establish as a basis; set up: to lay the foundations for further negotiations.
to present or submit for notice or consideration: I laid my case before the commission.
to present, bring forward, or make, as a claim or charge.
to impute, attribute, or ascribe: to lay blame on the inspector.
to bury: They laid him in the old churchyard.
to bring forth and deposit (an egg or eggs).
to impose as a burden, duty, penalty, or the like: to lay an embargo on oil shipments.
to place dinner service on (a table); set.
to place on or over a surface, as paint; cover or spread with something else.
to devise or arrange, as a plan.
to deposit as a wager; bet: He laid $10 on the horse that won the third race.
to set (a trap).
to place, set, or locate: The scene is laid in France.
to smooth down or make even: to lay the nap of cloth.
to cause to subside: laying the clouds of dust with a spray of water.
Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.
to bring (a stick, lash, etc.) down, as on a person, in inflicting punishment.
to form by twisting strands together, as a rope.
Nautical. to move or turn (a sailing vessel) into a certain position or direction.
to aim a cannon in a specified direction at a specified elevation.
to put (dogs) on a scent.
to lay eggs.
to wager or bet.
to apply oneself vigorously.
to deal or aim blows vigorously (usually followed by on, at, about, etc.).
Nonstandard. lie2.
South Midland U.S. to plan or scheme (often followed by out).
Midland and Southern U.S. (of the wind) to diminish; subside: When the wind lays, it'll rain.
Nautical. to take up a specified position, direction, etc.: to lay aloft; to lay close to the wind.
the way or position in which a thing is laid or lies: the lay of the land.
Slang: Vulgar.
a partner in sexual intercourse.
an instance of sexual intercourse.
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.
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.
Textiles. batten3 (defs. 1, 2).
a share of the profits or the catch of a whaling or fishing voyage, distributed to officers and crew.
lay back, Slang. to relax.
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.
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.
to produce or execute (something) successfully; throw down: In the top of the thirteenth inning, Jones laid down a perfect bunt.
Shipbuilding. to draw at full size (the lines of a hull), as on the floor of a mold loft; lay off; loft.
lay for, Informal. to wait for in order to attack or surprise; lie in wait for: The police are laying for him.
lay in, to store away for future use: We laid in a supply of canned goods.
lay into, Informal. to attack physically or verbally; assail: He laid into the opposition with fiery words.
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.
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. 47e).
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.
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.
lay out,
to extend at length.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Idioms about lay
get laid, Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.
lay aboard, Nautical. (formerly, of a fighting ship) to come alongside (another fighting ship) in order to board.
lay about one,
to strike or aim blows in every direction.
to proceed to do; set about.
lay a course,
Nautical. to sail in the desired direction without tacking.
to proceed according to a plan.
lay close, Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to sail close to the wind.
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.
lay low. low1 (defs. 50, 51).
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.
lay siege to. siege (def. 9).
Origin of lay
1synonym study For lay
confusables note For lay
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.
Other words for lay
Words that may be confused with lay
Other definitions for lay (2 of 5)
simple past tense of lie2.
Other definitions for lay (3 of 5)
belonging to, pertaining to, or performed by the people or laity, as distinguished from the clergy: a lay sermon.
not belonging to, connected with, or proceeding from a profession, especially the law or medicine.
Origin of lay
3Other definitions for lay (4 of 5)
a short narrative or other poem, especially one to be sung.
a song.
Origin of lay
4Other definitions for lay (5 of 5)
(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.
any movable part of a loom.
Origin of lay
5Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lay in a sentence
In his State of the Union address 50 years ago, LBJ laid out his vision for the Great Society.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society | Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“I laid out there for two and a half hours and my guardian angel showed up—rapper T.I.,” Stapp told MTV News.
Creed Singer Scott Stapp’s Fall From Grace: From 40 Million Albums Sold to Living in a Holiday Inn | Marlow Stern | November 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMeese, with the tacit acquiescence of other top officials, had laid out a version of events all were expected to uphold.
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations | Malcolm Byrne | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt a rally in Pittsburgh a week before the election, Johnson laid out an ambitious, transformative vision for the United States.
How LBJ and Reagan Wrecked Our Faith in Government | Scott Porch | October 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe had first laid out the case for hippopotamuses while delivering a paper at a conference in Missouri the previous year.
Lake Bacon: The Story of The Man Who Wanted Us to Eat Mississippi Hippos | Jon Mooallem | August 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The first interment in the cemetery of Pere la Chaise; it was laid out and prepared by order of Bonaparte.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellThis property is well laid out, and has a considerable number of dwellings already erected on it for the workpeople.
Asbestos | Robert H. JonesThey laid out the work for the next morning, but did nothing practical toward erecting the wires and attendant parts that day.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn | Margaret PenroseA many many beautiful corpses she laid out, as nice and neat as wax-work.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles DickensIn good time he had selected and laid out the inevitable field of battle with military prescience of the first order.
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. Murison
British Dictionary definitions for lay (1 of 4)
/ (leɪ) /
to put in a low or horizontal position; cause to lie: to lay a cover on a bed
to place, put, or be in a particular state or position: he laid his finger on his lips
(intr) not standard to be in a horizontal position; lie: he often lays in bed all the morning
(sometimes foll by down) to establish as a basis: to lay a foundation for discussion
to place or dispose in the proper position: to lay a carpet
to arrange (a table) for eating a meal
to prepare (a fire) for lighting by arranging fuel in the grate
(also intr) (of birds, esp the domestic hen) to produce (eggs)
to present or put forward: he laid his case before the magistrate
to impute or attribute: all the blame was laid on him
to arrange, devise, or prepare: to lay a trap
to place, set, or locate: the scene is laid in London
to apply on or as if on a surface: to lay a coat of paint
to impose as a penalty or burden: to lay a fine
to make (a bet) with (someone): I lay you five to one on Prince
to cause to settle: to lay the dust
to allay; suppress: to lay a rumour
to bring down forcefully: to lay a whip on someone's back
slang to have sexual intercourse with
slang to bet on (a horse) to lose a race
to press down or make smooth: to lay the nap of cloth
to cut (small trunks or branches of shrubs or trees) halfway through and bend them diagonally to form a hedge: to lay a hedge
to arrange and twist together (strands) in order to form (a rope, cable, etc)
military to apply settings of elevation and training to (a weapon) prior to firing
(foll by on) hunting to put (hounds or other dogs) onto a scent
another word for inlay
(intr; often foll by to or out) dialect, or informal to plan, scheme, or devise
(intr) nautical to move or go, esp into a specified position or direction: to lay close to the wind
lay aboard nautical (formerly) to move alongside a warship to board it
lay a course
nautical to sail on a planned course without tacking
to plan an action
lay bare to reveal or explain: he laid bare his plans
lay hands on See hands (def. 12)
lay hold of to seize or grasp
lay oneself open to make oneself vulnerable (to criticism, attack, etc): by making such a statement he laid himself open to accusations of favouritism
lay open to reveal or disclose
lay siege to to besiege (a city, etc)
the manner or position in which something lies or is placed
taboo, slang
an act of sexual intercourse
a sexual partner
a portion of the catch or the profits from a whaling or fishing expedition
the amount or direction of hoist in the strands of a rope
Origin of lay
1usage For lay
British Dictionary definitions for lay (2 of 4)
/ (leɪ) /
of, involving, or belonging to people who are not clergy
nonprofessional or nonspecialist; amateur
Origin of lay
2British Dictionary definitions for lay (3 of 4)
/ (leɪ) /
a ballad or short narrative poem, esp one intended to be sung
a song or melody
Origin of lay
3British Dictionary definitions for lay (4 of 4)
/ (leɪ) /
the past tense of lie 2
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with lay
In addition to the idioms beginning with lay
- lay about one
- lay a finger on
- lay an egg
- lay aside
- lay at rest
- lay at someone's door
- lay a wager
- lay away
- lay by
- lay claim to
- lay down
- lay down the law
- lay eyes on
- lay for
- lay hands on
- lay hold of
- lay in
- lay into
- lay it on the line
- lay it on thick
- lay low
- lay odds
- lay off
- lay of the land, the
- lay on
- lay one's cards on the table
- lay oneself out
- lay on the line
- lay open
- lay out
- lay over
- lay someone low
- lay to rest
- lay up
- lay waste
also see:
- let it lay
Also see underlaid uplieput.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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