lay

[ ley ]

/ leɪ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lay ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), laid, lay·ing.

to 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.

verb (used without object), laid, lay·ing.

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.

noun

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.

Verb Phrases

lay aside,

to abandon; reject.
to save for use at a later time; store: to lay aside some money every month.

lay away,

to reserve for later use; save.
to hold merchandise pending final payment or request for delivery: to lay away a winter coat.
to bury: They laid him away in the tomb.

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.
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.
to mark off; measure; plot.
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 47d).

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.
Chiefly British Informal. to provide as a gift, bonus, or treat; give; treat: The owners laid on a Christmas dinner for the employees.

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 spread out in order; arrange; prepare.
to plan; plot; design.
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 for 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

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.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lay ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Words nearby lay

laxalt, laxation, laxative, laxity, laxness, lay, lay a finger on, lay a wager, lay about one, lay an egg, lay analyst

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (1 of 5)

lay to

verb (intr, adverb) nautical

to bring a vessel into a haven

another term for heave to

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (2 of 5)

lay ¹

/ (leɪ) /

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

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)

noun

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

See also layabout, lay aside, lay away, lay-by, lay down, lay in, lay into, lay off, lay on, lay out, lay over, lay to, lay up

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 to (3 of 5)

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 to (4 of 5)

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 to (5 of 5)

lay ⁴

/ (leɪ) /

verb

the past tense of lie 2

Idioms and Phrases with lay to

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.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

lay

verb (used with object), laid, lay·ing.

verb (used without object), laid, lay·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Idioms for lay

Origin of lay

SYNONYMS FOR lay

usage note for lay

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lay

Words nearby lay

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (1 of 5)

verb (intr, adverb) nautical

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (2 of 5)

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

noun

Word Origin for lay

usage for lay

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (3 of 5)

adjective

Word Origin for lay

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (4 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for lay

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (5 of 5)

verb

Idioms and Phrases with lay to

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

lay

verb (used with object), laid, lay·ing.

verb (used without object), laid, lay·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Idioms for lay

Origin of lay

SYNONYMS FOR lay

usage note for lay

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lay

Words nearby lay

Words related to lay to

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verb (intr, adverb) nautical

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (2 of 5)

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

noun

Word Origin for lay

usage for lay

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (3 of 5)

adjective

Word Origin for lay

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (4 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for lay

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (5 of 5)

verb

Idioms and Phrases with lay to

British Dictionary definitions for lay to (1 of 5)