lay out

British  

verb

1. to arrange or spread out

2. to prepare (a corpse) for burial or cremation

3. to plan or contrive

4. informal to spend (money), esp lavishly

5. informal to knock unconscious

6. informal to exert (oneself) or put (oneself) to an effort

   he laid himself out to please us

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noun

1. the arrangement or plan of something, such as a building

2. the arrangement of written material, photographs, or other artwork on an advertisement or page in a book, newspaper, etc

3. a preliminary plan indicating this

4. a drawing showing the relative disposition of parts in a machine, etc

5. the act of laying out

6. something laid out

7. the formation of cards on the table in various games, esp in patience

8. informal a residence or establishment, esp a large one

lay out Idioms  

1. Make a detailed plan, design, or explanation, as in They laid out the exact dimensions in order to construct the new display , or Robert laid out next year's plans for his staff . [Mid-1700s]

2. Prepare a dead body for burial, as in He died that morning and was laid out for the wake by afternoon . [Late 1500s]

3. Rebuke harshly, as in She laid me out for breaking the vase . [ Slang ; late 1800s]

4. Knock unconscious or to the ground, render helpless, as in He laid him out with one good punch . [Late 1800s]

5. Expend, spend, as in She laid out a fortune on jewelry . [Mid-1400s]

6. Display or arrange, especially in a particular order, as in He asked her to lay out the merchandise in an attractive way . [Mid-1400s]

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Example Sentences

“I had the kids lay out the whole track,” Mejia said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

The problem is that the wire fraud statute does not clearly lay out what counts as a “scheme to defraud.”

From Slate • May 1, 2026

Before Harvard reclaims my Ph.D., let me lay out the merits of annuities.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

The guerrillas impose other demands as well, which they lay out at regular governance meetings: no fighting, no drugs, no theft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

We’ll lay out everything, the money and the work.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• arrange
• chart
• outline