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lay

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lay

1  [ley] verb, laid, lay⋅ing, noun
Use lay in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
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 fol. 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.
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.
–verb (used without object)
29. to lay eggs.
30. to wager or bet.
31. to apply oneself vigorously.
32. to deal or aim blows vigorously (usually fol. by on, at, about, etc.).
33. Nonstandard. lie 2 .
34. South Midland U.S. to plan or scheme (often fol. 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.
–noun
37. the way or position in which a thing is laid or lies: the lay of the land.
38. Slang: Vulgar.
a. a partner in sexual intercourse.
b. 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. batten 3 (defs. 1, 2).
42. a share of the profits or the catch of a whaling or fishing voyage, distributed to officers and crew.
—Verb phrases
43. lay aside,
a. to abandon; reject.
b. to save for use at a later time; store: to lay aside some money every month.
44. lay away,
a. to reserve for later use; save.
b. to hold merchandise pending final payment or request for delivery: to lay away a winter coat.
c. to bury: They laid him away in the tomb.
45. lay back, Slang. to relax.
46. lay by,
a. to put away for future use; store; save: She had managed to lay by money for college from her earnings as a babysitter.
b. Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to come to a standstill; heave to; lay to.
c. Midland and Southern U.S. to tend (a crop) for the last time, leaving it to mature without further cultivation.
47. lay down,
a. to give up; yield: to lay down one's arms.
b. to assert firmly; state authoritatively: to lay down rigid rules of conduct.
c. to stock; store: to lay down wine.
d. 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,
a. to dismiss (an employee), esp. temporarily because of slack business.
b. Informal. to cease or quit: He promised to lay off drinking.
c. Slang. to stop annoying or teasing: Lay off me, will you?
d. Informal. to stop work: They laid off at four and went home.
e. to put aside or take off.
f. to mark off; measure; plot.
g. Slang. to give or hand over; pass on: They laid off their old sofa on the neighborhood recreation center.
h. (of a bookmaker) to transfer all or part of (a wager) to other bookmakers in order to be protected against heavy losses.
i. to get rid of or transfer (blame, responsibility, etc.): He tried to lay off the guilt for the crime on his son.
j. Nautical. to sail away from.
k. Nautical. to remain stationary at a distance from.
l. Shipbuilding. lay 1 (def. 47d).
52. lay on,
a. to cover with; apply: to lay on a coat of wax.
b. 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 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,
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.
64. lay low. low 1 (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).
Origin:
bef. 900; ME layen, leggen, OE lecgan (causative of licgan to lie 2 ); 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.
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lay

2  [ley]
–verb
pt. of lie 2 .

lay

3  [ley]
–adjective
1. belonging to, pertaining to, or performed by the people or laity, as distinguished from the clergy: a lay sermon.
2. not belonging to, connected with, or proceeding from a profession, esp. the law or medicine.
Origin:
1300–50; ME < MF lai < ML lāicus laic

lay

4  [ley]
–noun
1. a short narrative or other poem, esp. one to be sung.
2. a song.
Origin:
1200–50; ME lai < OF, perh. < Celtic; cf. OIr láed, laíd metrical composition, poem, lay

lay

5  [ley]
–noun
1. (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.
2. any movable part of a loom.
Origin:
1780–90; var. of lathe

lie

1  [lahy] noun, verb, lied, ly⋅ing.
–noun
1. a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.
2. something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.
3. an inaccurate or false statement.
4. the charge or accusation of lying: He flung the lie back at his accusers.
–verb (used without object)
5. to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.
6. to express what is false; convey a false impression.
–verb (used with object)
7. 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.
—Idioms
8. give the lie to,
a. to accuse of lying; contradict.
b. to prove or imply the falsity of; belie: His poor work gives the lie to his claims of experience.
9. lie in one's throat or teeth, to lie grossly or maliciously: If she told you exactly the opposite of what she told me, she must be lying in her teeth. Also, lie through one's teeth.
Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE lyge; c. G Lüge, ON lygi; akin to Goth liugn; (v.) ME lien, OE lēogan (intransit.); c. G lügen, ON ljūga, Goth liugan

Synonyms:
1. prevarication, falsification. See falsehood. 5. prevaricate, fib.

Antonyms:
1. truth.

lie

2  [lahy] verb, lay, lain, ly⋅ing, noun
–verb (used without object)
1. to be in a horizontal, recumbent, or prostrate position, as on a bed or the ground; recline.
2. (of objects) to rest in a horizontal or flat position: The book lies on the table.
3. to be or remain in a position or state of inactivity, subjection, restraint, concealment, etc.: to lie in ambush.
4. to rest, press, or weigh (usually fol. by on or upon): These things lie upon my mind.
5. to depend (usually fol. by on or upon).
6. to be placed or situated: land lying along the coast.
7. to be stretched out or extended: the broad plain that lies before us.
8. to be in or have a specified direction; extend: The trail from here lies to the west.
9. to be found or located in a particular area or place: The fault lies here.
10. to consist or be grounded (usually fol. by in): The real remedy lies in education.
11. to be buried in a particular spot: Their ancestors lie in the family plot.
12. Law. to be sustainable or admissible, as an action or appeal.
13. Archaic. to lodge; stay the night; sojourn.
–noun
14. the manner, relative position, or direction in which something lies.
15. the haunt or covert of an animal.
16. Golf. the position of the ball relative to how easy or how difficult it is to play.
—Verb phrases
17. lie by,
a. to pause for rest; stop activities, work, etc., temporarily.
b. to lie unused: Ever since the last member of the family died, the old house has lain by.
18. lie down, to assume a horizontal or prostrate position, as for the purpose of resting.
19. lie in, to be confined to bed in childbirth.
20. 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.
21. lie up,
a. to lie at rest; stay in bed.
b. (of a ship) to dock or remain in dock.
22. lie with,
a. to be the duty or function of: The decision in this matter lies with him.
b. Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.
—Idioms
23. lie down on the job, Informal. to do less than one could or should do; shirk one's obligations.
24. lie in state. state (def. 24).
25. lie low. low 1 (def. 51).
26. lie to, Nautical. (of a ship) to lie comparatively stationary, usually with the head as near the wind as possible.
27. take lying down, to hear or yield without protest, contradiction, or resistance: I refuse to take such an insult lying down.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME lien, liggen, OE licgan; c. G liegen, D liggen, ON liggja, Goth ligan; akin to Gk léchesthai to lie down

Synonyms:
14. place, location, site.

Antonyms:
1, 2. stand.

Usage note:
See lay 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To lay
lay 1   (lā)   
v.   laid (lād), lay·ing, lays

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to lie down: lay a child in its crib.

    1. To place in or bring to a particular position: lay the cloth over the painting.

    2. To bury.

    3. To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope.

    4. To make in this manner: lay up cable.

  3. To cause to be in a particular condition: The remark laid him open to criticism.

  4. To put or set down: lay new railroad track.

  5. To produce and deposit: lay eggs.

  6. To cause to subside; calm or allay: "chas'd the clouds ... and laid the winds" (John Milton).

  7. To put up to or against: lay an ear to the door.

  8. To put forward as a reproach or an accusation: They laid the blame on us.

  9. To put or set in order or readiness for use: lay the table for lunch.

  10. To devise; contrive: lay plans.

  11. To spread over a surface: lay paint on a canvas.

  12. To place or give (importance): lay stress on clarity of expression.

  13. To impose as a burden or punishment: lay a penalty upon the offender.

  14. To present for examination: lay a case before a committee.

  15. To put forward as a demand or an assertion: laid claim to the estate.

  16. Games To place (a bet); wager.

  17. To aim (a gun or cannon).

    1. To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope.

    2. To make in this manner: lay up cable.

  19. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with.

v.   intr.

  1. To produce and deposit eggs.

  2. To bet; wager.

  3. Nonstandard To lie.

  4. To engage energetically in an action.

  5. Nautical To put oneself into the position indicated.

n.  

    1. The direction the strands of a rope or cable are twisted in: a left lay.

    2. The amount of such twist.

    3. Sexual intercourse.

    4. A partner in sexual intercourse.

  2. The state of one that lays eggs: a hen coming into lay.

  3. Vulgar Slang

    1. Sexual intercourse.

    2. A partner in sexual intercourse.

  4. To give up; abandon: lay aside all hope of rescue.

  5. To save for the future.

  6. To reserve for the future; save.

  7. To put aside and hold for future delivery.

  8. To save for future use.

  9. Nautical To remain stationary while heading into the wind.

  10. To give up and surrender: laid down their arms.

  11. To specify: laid down the rules.

  12. To store for the future.

  13. Nonstandard To lie down.

  14. To scold sharply.

  15. To attack physically; beat up.

  16. To terminate the employment of (a worker), especially temporarily.

  17. To mark off: lay off an area for a garden.

  18. Slang To stop doing something; quit.

  19. Games To place all or a part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie in order to reduce the risk.

  20. To apply (something) by or as if by spreading onto a flat surface: laid on a thick Southern accent.

  21. To prepare, usually in an elaborate fashion; arrange: laid on cocktails for 50 at the last minute.

  22. 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).

  23. To make a detailed plan for.

  24. To clothe and prepare (a corpse) for burial.

  25. To rebuke harshly: She laid me out for breaking the vase.

  26. To knock to the ground or unconscious.

  27. To expend; spend: lay out a fortune on jewelry.

  28. To display: lay out merchandise; lay the merchandise out.

  29. To bring (a ship) to a stop in open water.

  30. To remain stationary while heading into the wind.

  31. To stock for future use: lay up supplies for a long journey.

  32. Informal To confine with an illness or injury: was laid up for a month.

  33. Nautical To put (a ship) in dock, as for repairs.

  34. Sports To hit a golf shot less far than one is able so as to avoid a hazard.

Phrasal Verb(s):
lay aboutTo strike blows on all sides.
lay aside

  1. To give up; abandon: lay aside all hope of rescue.

  2. To save for the future.

lay away

  1. To reserve for the future; save.

  2. To put aside and hold for future delivery.

lay by

  1. To save for future use.

  2. Nautical To remain stationary while heading into the wind.

lay down

  1. To give up and surrender: laid down their arms.

  2. To specify: laid down the rules.

  3. To store for the future.

  4. Nonstandard To lie down.

lay for Informal To be waiting to attack: Muggers lay for the unsuspecting pedestrian in the dark alley.
lay inTo store for future use: lay in supplies for an Arctic winter.
lay into Slang

  1. To scold sharply.

  2. To attack physically; beat up.

lay off

  1. To terminate the employment of (a worker), especially temporarily.

  2. To mark off: lay off an area for a garden.

  3. Slang To stop doing something; quit.

  4. Games To place all or a part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie in order to reduce the risk.

lay on

  1. To apply (something) by or as if by spreading onto a flat surface: laid on a thick Southern accent.

  2. To prepare, usually in an elaborate fashion; arrange: laid on cocktails for 50 at the last minute.

  3. 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

  1. To make a detailed plan for.

  2. To clothe and prepare (a corpse) for burial.

  3. To rebuke harshly: She laid me out for breaking the vase.

  4. To knock to the ground or unconscious.

  5. To expend; spend: lay out a fortune on jewelry.

  6. To display: lay out merchandise; lay the merchandise out.

lay overTo make a stopover in the course of a journey.
lay to Nautical

  1. To bring (a ship) to a stop in open water.

  2. To remain stationary while heading into the wind.

lay up

  1. To stock for future use: lay up supplies for a long journey.

  2. Informal To confine with an illness or injury: was laid up for a month.

  3. Nautical To put (a ship) in dock, as for repairs.

  4. Sports To hit a golf shot less far than one is able so as to avoid a hazard.


Idiom(s):
lay down the lawTo assert positively and often arrogantly.

Idiom(s):
lay it on thick Informal

  1. To exaggerate; overstate.

  2. To flatter effusively.


Idiom(s):
lay of the landThe 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 wasteTo 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.
lay 2   (lā)   
adj.  

  1. Of, relating to, or involving the laity: a lay preacher.

  2. Not of or belonging to a particular profession; nonprofessional: a lay opinion as to the seriousness of the disease.


[Middle English, from Old French lai, from Late Latin lāicus, from Greek lāikos, of the people, from lāos, the people.]
lay 3   (lā)   
n.  

  1. A narrative poem, such as one sung by medieval minstrels; a ballad.

  2. A song; a tune.


[Middle English, from Old French lai.]
lay 4   (lā)   
v.  Past tense of lie1.
lie 1   (lī)   
intr.v.   lay (lā), lain (lān), ly·ing (lī'ĭng), lies

  1. To be or place oneself at rest in a flat, horizontal, or recumbent position; recline: He lay under a tree to sleep.

  2. To be placed on or supported by a surface that is usually horizontal: Dirty dishes lay on the table. See Usage Note at lay1.

  3. To be or remain in a specified condition: The dust has lain undisturbed for years. He lay sick in bed.

    1. To exist; reside: Our sympathies lie with the plaintiff.

    2. To consist or have as a basis. Often used with in: The strength of his performance lies in his training.

  5. To occupy a position or place: The lake lies beyond this hill.

  6. To extend: Our land lies between these trees and the river.

  7. To be buried in a specified place.

  8. Law To be admissible or maintainable.

  9. Archaic To stay for a night or short while.

n.  

  1. The manner or position in which something is situated.

  2. A haunt or hiding place of an animal.

  3. Sports The position of a golf ball that has come to a stop.

  4. To be decided by, dependent on, or up to: The choice lies with you.

  5. Archaic To have sexual intercourse with.

Phrasal Verb(s):
lie downTo do little or nothing: He's lying down on the job.
lie inTo be in confinement for childbirth.
lie to Nautical To remain stationary while facing the wind.
lie with

  1. To be decided by, dependent on, or up to: The choice lies with you.

  2. Archaic To have sexual intercourse with.


Idiom(s):
lie/lay low

  1. To keep oneself or one's plans hidden.

  2. To bide one's time but remain ready for action.


[Middle English lien, from Old English licgan; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
lay

  1. tv.
    to copulate [with] someone. (Crude. Usually objectionable.) : She laid him on the spot.
  2. n.
    a sexual act. (Crude. Usually objectionable.) : I could use a good lay about now.
  3. n.
    a person considered as a potential sex partner. (Crude. Usually objectionable.) : He actually said that she was a good lay.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
lay (so)

  1. tv.
    to scold someone severely. (See also laid out.) : She really laid out the guy but good. What did he do, rob a bank?
  2. tv.
    to knock someone down with a punch. : The boxer laid out his opponent with a blow to the head.
  3. tv.
    to prepare someone for burial. (See also laid out. Not slang.) : The undertaker did not lay Aunt Fanny out to my satisfaction.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
lay (sth)

  1. tv.
    to spend some amount of money. : I can't lay that kind of money out every day!
  2. tv.
    to explain a plan of action or a sequence of events. : Let me lay it out for you.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

lay  (v.)
O.E. lecgan "to place on the ground (or other surface)," also "put down (often by striking)," from P.Gmc. *lagjanan (cf. O.S. leggian, O.N. leggja, O.Fris. ledza, M.Du. legghan, Du. leggen, O.H.G. lecken, Ger. legen, Goth. lagjan "to lay, put, place"), causative of lie (v.2). Meaning "way in which something is laid" (lay of the land) first recorded 1819. Meaning "have sex with" first recorded 1934, in U.S. slang, from sense of "deposit" (which was in O.E., as in lay an egg, lay a bet, etc.), perhaps reinforced by to lie with, a frequent phrase in the Bible. The noun meaning "woman available for sexual intercourse" is attested from 1930, but there are suggestions of it in stage puns from as far back as 1767. Lay off "dismiss" (an employee) is from 1868; meaning "stop disturbing" is from 1908. To lay for (someone) "await a chance at revenge" is from 1494; lay low "stay inconspicuous" is from 1839. To lay (someone) low preserves the secondary O.E. sense. Layabout "habitual loafer" is attested from 1932. Layup, the basketball shot, is attested from 1948.

lay  (adj.)
c.1330, from O.Fr. lai "secular, not of the clergy" (Fr. laïque), from L.L. laicus, from Gk. laikos "of the people," from laos "people," of unknown origin. In M.E., contrasted with learned, a sense revived 1810 for "non-expert." Layman "non-cleric" is from 1432; "outsider, non-expert" (especially in regards to law or medicine) is from 1477. The gender-neutral layperson is attested from 1972.

lay  (n.)
"short song," c.1240, from O.Fr. lai "song, lyric," of unknown origin, perhaps from Celt. (cf. Ir. laid "song, poem," Gael. laoidh "poem, verse, play") since the earliest verses so called were Arthurian ballads, but another theory traces it to a Gmc. source, cf. O.H.G. leich "play, melody, song."

lie  (v.1)
"speak falsely," O.E. legan, ligan, earlier leogan (class II strong verb; past tense leag, pp. logen), from P.Gmc. *leugan (cf. O.N. ljuga, Dan. lyve, O.Fris. liaga, Ger. lügen, Goth. liugan), from PIE base *leugh- "to tell a lie."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: lay
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: laid; lay·ing
1 : to impose as a duty, burden, or punishment <lay a tax>
2 a : to put forward : ASSERT <lay a claim> b : to submit for examination and determination <laid a case before the commission>

Main Entry: lay
past of LIE

Main Entry: lie
Pronunciation: 'lI
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Forms: lay /'lA/; lain /'lAn/; ly·ing
: to be sustainable or capable of being maintained : have grounds under the law lie —Scott v. Bradford, 606 Pacific Reporter, Second Series 554 (1979)> lie for misstatements of opinion —W. L. Prosser and W. Pacific Reporter Keeton> lie to the…Circuit Court —D. Q. Posin>—lie in grant : to be transferable legally only by grant
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

lie (lī)
n.
The manner or position in which something is situated, especially the relation that the long axis of a fetus bears to that of its mother.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

lay

In addition to the idioms beginning with lay, also see let it lay. Also see under laid up; lie; put.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

lay

in medieval French literature, a short romance, usually written in octosyllabic verse, that dealt with subjects thought to be of Celtic origin. The earliest lay narratives were written in the 12th century by Marie De France; her works were largely based on earlier Breton versions thought to have been derived from Celtic legend. The Breton lay, a 14th-century English poetic form based on these lays, is exemplified by "The Franklin's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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