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lay1

[ley]
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verb (used with object), laid, lay·ing.
  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 followed 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 that won the third race.
  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), laid, lay·ing.
  1. to lay eggs.
  2. to wager or bet.
  3. to apply oneself vigorously.
  4. to deal or aim blows vigorously (usually followed by on, at, about, etc.).
  5. Nonstandard. lie2.
  6. South Midland U.S. to plan or scheme (often followed by out).
  7. Midland and Southern U.S. (of the wind) to diminish; subside: When the wind lays, it'll rain.
  8. Nautical. to take up a specified position, direction, etc.: to lay aloft; to lay close to the wind.
noun
  1. the way or position in which a thing is laid or lies: the lay of the land.
  2. Slang: Vulgar.
    1. a partner in sexual intercourse.
    2. an instance of sexual intercourse.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Textiles. batten3(defs 1, 2).
  6. a share of the profits or the catch of a whaling or fishing voyage, distributed to officers and crew.
Verb Phrases
  1. lay aside,
    1. to abandon; reject.
    2. to save for use at a later time; store: to lay aside some money every month.
  2. lay away,
    1. to reserve for later use; save.
    2. to hold merchandise pending final payment or request for delivery: to lay away a winter coat.
    3. to bury: They laid him away in the tomb.
  3. lay back, Slang. to relax.
  4. lay by,
    1. to put away for future use; store; save: She had managed to lay by money for college from her earnings as a babysitter.
    2. Nautical.(of a sailing vessel) to come to a standstill; heave to; lay to.
    3. Midland and Southern U.S.to tend (a crop) for the last time, leaving it to mature without further cultivation.
  5. lay down,
    1. to give up; yield: to lay down one's arms.
    2. to assert firmly; state authoritatively: to lay down rigid rules of conduct.
    3. to stock; store: to lay down wine.
    4. Shipbuilding.to draw at full size (the lines of a hull), as on the floor of a mold loft; lay off; loft.
  6. lay for, Informal. to wait for in order to attack or surprise; lie in wait for: The police are laying for him.
  7. lay in, to store away for future use: We laid in a supply of canned goods.
  8. lay into, Informal. to attack physically or verbally; assail: He laid into the opposition with fiery words.
  9. lay off,
    1. to dismiss (an employee), especially temporarily because of slack business.
    2. Informal.to cease or quit: He promised to lay off drinking.
    3. Slang.to stop annoying or teasing: Lay off me, will you?
    4. Informal.to stop work: They laid off at four and went home.
    5. to put aside or take off.
    6. to mark off; measure; plot.
    7. Slang.to give or hand over; pass on: They laid off their old sofa on the neighborhood recreation center.
    8. (of a bookmaker) to transfer all or part of (a wager) to other bookmakers in order to be protected against heavy losses.
    9. to get rid of or transfer (blame, responsibility, etc.): He tried to lay off the guilt for the crime on his son.
    10. Nautical.to sail away from.
    11. Nautical.to remain stationary at a distance from.
    12. Shipbuilding.lay1(def 47d).
  10. lay on,
    1. to cover with; apply: to lay on a coat of wax.
    2. to strike blows; attack violently: When the mob became unruly, the police began to lay on.
    3. Nautical.to sail toward.
    4. Nautical.to row (an oar) with a full stroke.
    5. Slang.to tell, impart, or give to: Let me lay a little good advice on you.
    6. Chiefly British Informal.to provide as a gift, bonus, or treat; give; treat: The owners laid on a Christmas dinner for the employees.
  11. lay open,
    1. to cut open: to lay open an area of tissue with a scalpel.
    2. to expose; reveal: Her autobiography lays open shocking facts about her childhood.
    3. to expose or make vulnerable, as to blame, suspicion, or criticism: He was careful not to lay himself open to charges of partiality.
  12. lay out,
    1. to extend at length.
    2. to spread out in order; arrange; prepare.
    3. to plan; plot; design.
    4. to ready (a corpse) for burial.
    5. Informal.to spend or contribute (money).
    6. Slang.to knock (someone) down or unconscious.
    7. Slang.to scold vehemently; reprimand: Whenever I come home late from school, my mom really lays me out.
    8. to make a layout of.
    9. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.to absent oneself from school or work without permission or justification; play hooky.
  13. lay over,
    1. to be postponed until action may be taken: The vote will have to be laid over until next week.
    2. to make a stop, as during a trip: We will have to lay over in Lyons on our way to the Riviera.
  14. lay to,
    1. Nautical.to check the motion of (a ship).
    2. Nautical.to put (a ship) in a dock or other place of safety.
    3. to attack vigorously.
    4. to put forth effort; apply oneself.
  15. lay up,
    1. to put away for future use; store up.
    2. to cause to be confined to bed or kept indoors; disable.
    3. Nautical.to retire (a ship) from active use.
    4. Nautical.(of a ship) to be retired from active use.
    5. to construct (a masonry structure): The masons laid the outer walls up in Flemish bond.
    6. to apply (alternate layers of a material and a binder) to form a bonded material.
Idioms
  1. get laid, Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.
  2. lay aboard, Nautical. (formerly, of a fighting ship) to come alongside (another fighting ship) in order to board.
  3. lay about one,
    1. to strike or aim blows in every direction.
    2. to proceed to do; set about.
  4. lay a course,
    1. Nautical.to sail in the desired direction without tacking.
    2. to proceed according to a plan.
  5. lay close, Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to sail close to the wind.
  6. 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.
  7. lay low. low1(defs 50, 51).
  8. 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.
  9. lay siege to. siege(def 9).

Origin of lay1

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
Can be confusedlay lie2 (see usage note at the current entry)downsize fire lay off rightsize terminatelay off layoff

Synonyms

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1. deposit. See put. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for lay back

lay1

verb lays, laying or laid (leɪd) (mainly tr)
  1. to put in a low or horizontal position; cause to lieto lay a cover on a bed
  2. to place, put, or be in a particular state or positionhe laid his finger on his lips
  3. (intr) not standard to be in a horizontal position; liehe often lays in bed all the morning
  4. (sometimes foll by down) to establish as a basisto lay a foundation for discussion
  5. to place or dispose in the proper positionto lay a carpet
  6. to arrange (a table) for eating a meal
  7. to prepare (a fire) for lighting by arranging fuel in the grate
  8. (also intr) (of birds, esp the domestic hen) to produce (eggs)
  9. to present or put forwardhe laid his case before the magistrate
  10. to impute or attributeall the blame was laid on him
  11. to arrange, devise, or prepareto lay a trap
  12. to place, set, or locatethe scene is laid in London
  13. to apply on or as if on a surfaceto lay a coat of paint
  14. to impose as a penalty or burdento lay a fine
  15. to make (a bet) with (someone)I lay you five to one on Prince
  16. to cause to settleto lay the dust
  17. to allay; suppressto lay a rumour
  18. to bring down forcefullyto lay a whip on someone's back
  19. slang to have sexual intercourse with
  20. slang to bet on (a horse) to lose a race
  21. to press down or make smoothto lay the nap of cloth
  22. to cut (small trunks or branches of shrubs or trees) halfway through and bend them diagonally to form a hedgeto lay a hedge
  23. to arrange and twist together (strands) in order to form (a rope, cable, etc)
  24. military to apply settings of elevation and training to (a weapon) prior to firing
  25. (foll by on) hunting to put (hounds or other dogs) onto a scent
  26. another word for inlay
  27. (intr; often foll by to or out) dialect, or informal to plan, scheme, or devise
  28. (intr) nautical to move or go, esp into a specified position or directionto lay close to the wind
  29. lay aboard nautical (formerly) to move alongside a warship to board it
  30. lay a course
    1. nauticalto sail on a planned course without tacking
    2. to plan an action
  31. lay bare to reveal or explainhe laid bare his plans
  32. lay hands on See hands (def. 12)
  33. lay hold of to seize or grasp
  34. lay oneself open to make oneself vulnerable (to criticism, attack, etc)by making such a statement he laid himself open to accusations of favouritism
  35. lay open to reveal or disclose
  36. lay siege to to besiege (a city, etc)
noun
  1. the manner or position in which something lies or is placed
  2. taboo, slang
    1. an act of sexual intercourse
    2. a sexual partner
  3. a portion of the catch or the profits from a whaling or fishing expedition
  4. 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

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

usage

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

lay2

adjective
  1. of, involving, or belonging to people who are not clergy
  2. nonprofessional or nonspecialist; amateur

Word Origin

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

lay3

noun
  1. a ballad or short narrative poem, esp one intended to be sung
  2. a song or melody

Word Origin

C13: from Old French lai, perhaps of Germanic origin

lay4

verb
  1. 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

Word Origin and History for lay back

lay

v.

Old English lecgan "to place on the ground (or other surface)," also "put down (often by striking)," from Proto-Germanic *lagjanan (cf. Old Saxon leggian, Old Norse leggja, Old Frisian ledza, Middle Dutch legghan, Dutch leggen, Old High German lecken, German legen, Gothic lagjan "to lay, put, place"), causative of lie (v.2). As a noun, from 1550s, "act of laying." Meaning "way in which something is laid" (e.g. lay of the land) first recorded 1819.

Meaning "have sex with" first recorded 1934, in U.S. slang, probably from sense of "deposit" (which was in Old English, as in lay an egg, lay a bet, etc.), perhaps reinforced by to lie with, a phrase frequently met 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. To lay for (someone) "await a chance at revenge" is from late 15c.; lay low "stay inconspicuous" is from 1839. To lay (someone) low preserves the secondary Old English sense.

lay

adj.

"uneducated; non-clerical," early 14c., from Old French lai "secular, not of the clergy" (Modern French laïque), from Late Latin laicus, from Greek laikos "of the people," from laos "people," of unknown origin. In Middle English, contrasted with learned, a sense revived 1810 for "non-expert."

lay

n.

"short song," mid-13c., from Old French lai "song, lyric," of unknown origin, perhaps from Celtic (cf. Irish laid "song, poem," Gaelic laoidh "poem, verse, play") because the earliest verses so called were Arthurian ballads, but OED finds this "out of the question" and prefers a theory which traces it to a Germanic source, cf. Old High German leich "play, melody, song."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with lay back

lay

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.