take lying down
verb (used without object)
1.
to be in a horizontal, recumbent, or prostrate position, as on a bed or the ground; recline. Antonyms: stand.
2.
(of objects) to rest in a horizontal or flat position: The book lies on the table. Antonyms: stand.
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 followed by on or upon ): These things lie upon my mind.
5.
to depend (usually followed 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 followed 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: the lie of the patio, facing the water. Synonyms: place, location, site.
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.
00:10
Take lying down
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
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.
23.
lie down on the job, Informal. to do less than one could or should do; shirk one's obligations.
24.
25.
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:
before 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
before 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
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To take lying down
Collins
World English Dictionary
lie1 (laɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb , lies, lying, lied | |
| 1. | (intr) to speak untruthfully with intent to mislead or deceive |
| 2. | (intr) to convey a false impression or practise deception: the camera does not lie |
| —n | |
| 3. | an untrue or deceptive statement deliberately used to mislead |
| 4. | something that is deliberately intended to deceive |
| 5. | give the lie to |
| a. to disprove | |
| b. to accuse of lying | |
| Related: mendacious | |
| [Old English lyge (n), lēogan (vb); related to Old High German liogan, Gothic liugan] | |
| lie2 (laɪ) | |
| —vb (usually foll by on | |
| 1. | ( |
| 2. | to be situated, esp on a horizontal surface: the pencil is lying on the desk; India lies to the south of Russia |
| 3. | to be buried: here lies Jane Brown |
| 4. | (copula) to be and remain (in a particular state or condition): to lie dormant |
| 5. | to stretch or extend: the city lies before us |
| 6. | to rest or weigh: my sins lie heavily on my mind |
| 7. | ( |
| 8. | ( |
| a. to be or rest (with): the ultimate decision lies with you | |
| b. archaic to have sexual intercourse (with) | |
| 9. | (of an action, claim, appeal, etc) to subsist; be maintainable or admissible |
| 10. | archaic to stay temporarily |
| 11. | lie in state See state |
| 12. | lie low |
| a. to keep or be concealed or quiet | |
| b. to wait for a favourable opportunity | |
| —n | |
| 13. | the manner, place, or style in which something is situated |
| 14. | the hiding place or lair of an animal |
| 15. | golf |
| a. the position of the ball after a shot: a bad lie | |
| b. the angle made by the shaft of the club before the upswing | |
| 16. | lie of the land |
| a. the topography of the land | |
| b. the way in which a situation is developing or people are behaving | |
| Lie (liː) | |
| —n | |
| Trygve Halvdan (ˈtryɡvə ˈhalðan). 1896--1968, Norwegian statesman; first secretary-general of the United Nations (1946--52) | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
lie
"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."
lie
"rest horizontally," O.E. licgan (class V strong verb; past tense læg, pp. legen), from P.Gmc. *legjanan (cf. O.N. liggja, O.Fris. lidzia, M.Du. ligghen, Ger. liegen, Goth. ligan), from PIE *legh- (cf. Hittite laggari "falls, lies," Gk. lekhesthai "to lie down," L. lectus "bed," O.C.S. lego "to
lie down," Lith. at-lagai "fallow land," O.Ir. laigim "I lie down," Ir. luighe "couch, grave"). To lie with "have sexual intercourse" is from c.1300.
lie
"an untruth," O.E. lyge, from P.Gmc. *lugin (cf. O.N. lygi, Dan. løgn, O.Fris. leyne, Ger. Lüge, Goth. liugn). To give the lie to "accuse directly of lying" is attested from 1593. Lie-detector first recorded 1909.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
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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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Lie definition
an intentional violation of the truth. Lies are emphatically condemned in Scripture (John 8:44; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rev. 21:27; 22:15). Mention is made of the lies told by good men, as by Abraham (Gen. 12:12, 13; 20:2), Isaac (26:7), and Jacob (27:24); also by the Hebrew midwives (Ex. 1:15-19), by Michal (1 Sam. 19:14), and by David (1 Sam. 20:6). (See ANANIAS.)
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
take lying down
Submit to an insult, rebuke, or other harsh treatment without resisting, as in He won't take that snub lying down. This idiom uses lying down in the sense of "passively." [Late 1800s] Also see take it, def. 2.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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