Idioms for lay

Origin of lay

1
before 900; Middle English layen, leggen, Old English lecgan (causative of licgan to lie2); cognate with Dutch leggen, German legen, Old Norse legja, Gothic lagjan

SYNONYMS FOR lay

1 deposit. See put.
22 calm, still, quiet.

usage note for lay

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.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lay

lay lie2 (see usage note at the current entry) downsize fire lay off rightsize terminate lay off layoff

British Dictionary definitions for lay for (1 of 4)

lay 1
/ (leɪ) /

verb lays, laying or laid (leɪd) (mainly tr)

noun

Word Origin for lay

Old English lecgan; related to Gothic lagjan, Old Norse leggja

usage for lay

In careful English, the verb lay is used with an object and lie without one: the soldier laid down his arms; the Queen laid a wreath; the book was lying on the table; he was lying on the floor. In informal English, lay is frequently used for lie: the book was laying on the table. All careful writers and speakers observe the distinction even in informal contexts

British Dictionary definitions for lay for (2 of 4)

lay 2
/ (leɪ) /

adjective

of, involving, or belonging to people who are not clergy
nonprofessional or nonspecialist; amateur

Word Origin for lay

C14: from Old French lai, from Late Latin lāicus, ultimately from Greek laos people

British Dictionary definitions for lay for (3 of 4)

lay 3
/ (leɪ) /

noun

a ballad or short narrative poem, esp one intended to be sung
a song or melody

Word Origin for lay

C13: from Old French lai, perhaps of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for lay for (4 of 4)

lay 4
/ (leɪ) /

verb

the past tense of lie 2

Idioms and Phrases with lay for (1 of 2)

lay for

Be waiting to attack; also, lie in wait for, as in The gang members were laying for him in that dark alley, or The reporters were laying for the Vice President when he came out of the meeting. [Late 1400s]

Idioms and Phrases with lay for (2 of 2)

lay