lay down

British  

verb

1. to place on the ground, etc

2. to relinquish or discard

   to lay down one's life

3. to formulate (a rule, principle, etc)

4. to build or begin to build

   the railway was laid down as far as Manchester

5. to record (plans) on paper

6. to convert (land) into pasture

7. to store or stock

   to lay down wine

8. informal to wager or bet

9. informal (tr, adverb) to record (tracks) in a studio

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lay down Idioms  

1. Give something up, surrender, as in They laid down their arms . [c. 1300]

2. Formulate, specify, as in The club laid down new membership rules . [Late 1400s]

3. Also, lay down one's life . Sacrifice one's life, as in He would willingly lay down his life for his children . [c. 1600]

4. Store for the future, as in It was a great vintage year for burgundy, and Mark laid down several cases . [Early 1800s] Also see lay aside , def. 2.

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Example Sentences

But California would not prove to be the be-all and end-all for the rapper, who chose to lay down more permanent roots in Utah, just outside of Salt Lake City.

From MarketWatch

Nim lay down on her mat with her flashlight and her book.

From Literature

While the Wirths’ 15-stop odyssey may represent an extreme, many lacked either the opportunity or desire to lay down new roots while anticipating a return to what they consider their real home.

From Los Angeles Times

This was a major own-goal, to be sure, but one could say that Starmer lay down with a dog and got up with fleas.

From Salon

He lay down in the grass listening to the sounds of night animals.

From Literature

Related Words

• abandon
• back down
• back off
• backtrack
• depart
• escape
• evacuate
• fall back
• go
• go back
• hide
• leave
• pull out
• recede
• reel
• retire
• reverse
• shrink
• withdraw