lai

American  

[ley] / leɪ /

noun

1. (in medieval French literature)

2. a narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets and dealing with tales of adventure and romance.

3. a lyric poem, often a love poem, having great metrical variety and designed to be sung to a popular melody.

---

Etymology

Origin of lai

1200–50; Middle English < Old French. See lay ⁴

Example Sentences

That changed when President Lai Ching-te took office in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal

In November, Lai sharpened the message, introducing a $40 billion special defense budget and arguing that the funding was necessary in light of Beijing’s goal of achieving the capability for “unification by force” by 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal

A few hours later, Lai’s office pivoted and clarified that the president was citing international assessments and U.S. congressional reports rather than predicting a launch date.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lai's conviction received international condemnation at the time, with rights groups condemning his punishment as "effectively a death sentence" and a symbol of the city's shrivelling press freedoms.

From Barron's

His son, Sebastien Lai, said the "draconian prison sentence is devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father".

From Barron's