lay

¹

[ ley ]

/ leɪ /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lay ON THESAURUS.COM

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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.

Nearby words

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

Idioms

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

¹

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 MORE SYNONYMS FOR lay ON THESAURUS.COM

Can be confused

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

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.

Definition for lay (2 of 7)

lay

²

[ ley ]

/ leɪ /

verb

simple past tense of lie².

Definition for lay (3 of 7)

lay

³

[ ley ]

/ leɪ /

adjective

belonging to, pertaining to, or performed by the people or laity, as distinguished from the clergy: a lay sermon.

not belonging to, connected with, or proceeding from a profession, especially the law or medicine.

Origin of lay

³

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French lai < Medieval Latin lāicus laic

Definition for lay (4 of 7)

lay

⁴

[ ley ]

/ leɪ /

noun

a short narrative or other poem, especially one to be sung.

a song.

Origin of lay

⁴

1200–50; Middle English lai < Old French, perhaps < Celtic; compare Old Irish láed, laíd metrical composition, poem, lay

Definition for lay (5 of 7)

lay

⁵

[ ley ]

/ leɪ /

noun

(on a loom) a movable frame that contains the shuttles, the race plate, and the reed, and that by its oscillating motion beats the filling yarn into place.

any movable part of a loom.

Origin of lay

⁵

First recorded in 1780–90; variant of lathe

Definition for lay (6 of 7)

lie

¹

[ lahy ]

/ laɪ /

noun

a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.

something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.

an inaccurate or false statement; a falsehood.

the charge or accusation of telling a lie: He flung the lie back at his accusers.

verb (used without object), lied, ly·ing.

to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.

to express what is false; convey a false impression.

verb (used with object), lied, ly·ing.

to bring about or affect by lying (often used reflexively): to lie oneself out of a difficulty; accustomed to lying his way out of difficulties.

Origin of lie

¹

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English lyge; cognate with German Lüge, Old Norse lygi; akin to Gothic liugn; (verb) Middle English lien, Old English lēogan (intransitive); cognate with German lügen, Old Norse ljūga, Gothic liugan

Can be confused

lie lye

Synonym study

1. See falsehood.

Definition for lay (7 of 7)

lie

²

[ lahy ]

/ laɪ /

verb (used without object), lay, lain, ly·ing.

to be in a horizontal, recumbent, or prostrate position, as on a bed or the ground; recline.

(of objects) to rest in a horizontal or flat position: The book lies on the table.

to be or remain in a position or state of inactivity, subjection, restraint, concealment, etc.: to lie in ambush.

to rest, press, or weigh (usually followed by on or upon): These things lie upon my mind.

to depend (usually followed by on or upon).

to be placed or situated: land lying along the coast.

to be stretched out or extended: the broad plain that lies before us.

to be in or have a specified direction; extend: The trail from here lies to the west.

to be found or located in a particular area or place: The fault lies here.

to consist or be grounded (usually followed by in): The real remedy lies in education.

to be buried in a particular spot: Their ancestors lie in the family plot.

Law. to be sustainable or admissible, as an action or appeal.

Archaic. to lodge; stay the night; sojourn.

noun

the manner, relative position, or direction in which something lies: the lie of the patio, facing the water.

the haunt or covert of an animal.

Golf. the position of the ball relative to how easy or how difficult it is to play.

Verb Phrases

lie by,

to pause for rest; stop activities, work, etc., temporarily.
to lie unused: Ever since the last member of the family died, the old house has lain by.

lie down, to assume a horizontal or prostrate position, as for the purpose of resting.

lie in,

to be confined to bed in childbirth.
Chiefly British. to stay in bed longer than usual, especially in the morning.

lie over, to be postponed for attention or action at some future time: The other business on the agenda will have to lie over until the next meeting.

lie up,

to lie at rest; stay in bed.
(of a ship) to dock or remain in dock.

lie with,

to be the duty or function of: The decision in this matter lies with him.
Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.

Origin of lie

²

before 900; Middle English lien, liggen, Old English licgan; cognate with German liegen, Dutch liggen, Old Norse liggja, Gothic ligan; akin to Greek léchesthai to lie down

Usage note

See lay¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lay

One police officer was coolly dispatched as he lay wounded on the sidewalk.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Lay the butterflied pork loin on the cutting board with the fat cap facing down.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In their opinion, this would allow conservatives to lay a marker down on immigration while avoiding a shutdown for the time being.
Bachmann and Pelosi vs. Boehner and Obama Over Spending Bill|Ben Jacobs|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dehydrated and feeling weary, Marino lay down beside another migrant under a tree and fell asleep.
Drug Smuggler Sues U.S. Over Dog Bite|Caitlin Dickson|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And since she was so tired, she wanted to lay down and sleep.
In New Brothers Grimm 'Snow White', The Prince Doesn't Save Her|The Brothers Grimm|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Safest for him, after all, was to lay fast hold of the particularly unimportant person he was, both there and anywhere else.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete|George Meredith
I learned later that he had implored the Superior on his knees not to lay this dreadful command upon him, but all in vain.
The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter|Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce
At last he became worn out, and lay quite still, and thus froze fast in the ice.
Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol. 2|Charles Dudley Warner
Still Maria lay upon my lap, and still I resisted every attempt that was made to remove her.
Beaux and Belles of England|Mary Robinson
Lay on different parts of the skin a small, square piece of paper with a small central hole in it.
A Practical Physiology|Albert F. Blaisdell

British Dictionary definitions for lay (1 of 7)

lay

¹

/ (leɪ) /

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

to put in a low or horizontal position; cause to lieto lay a cover on a bed

to place, put, or be in a particular state or positionhe laid his finger on his lips

(intr) not standard to be in a horizontal position; liehe often lays in bed all the morning

(sometimes foll by down) to establish as a basisto lay a foundation for discussion

to place or dispose in the proper positionto 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 forwardhe laid his case before the magistrate

to impute or attributeall the blame was laid on him

to arrange, devise, or prepareto lay a trap

to place, set, or locatethe scene is laid in London

to apply on or as if on a surfaceto lay a coat of paint

to impose as a penalty or burdento lay a fine

to make (a bet) with (someone)I lay you five to one on Prince

to cause to settleto lay the dust

to allay; suppressto lay a rumour

to bring down forcefullyto 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 smoothto lay the nap of cloth

to cut (small trunks or branches of shrubs or trees) halfway through and bend them diagonally to form a hedgeto 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 directionto 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 explainhe 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

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 (2 of 7)

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 (3 of 7)

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 (4 of 7)

lay

⁴

/ (leɪ) /

verb

the past tense of lie 2

British Dictionary definitions for lay (5 of 7)

Lie

/ (liː) /

noun

Trygve Halvdan (ˈtryɡvə ˈhalðan). 1896–1968, Norwegian statesman; first secretary-general of the United Nations (1946–52)

British Dictionary definitions for lay (6 of 7)

lie

¹

/ (laɪ) /

verb lies, lying or lied

(intr) to speak untruthfully with intent to mislead or deceive

(intr) to convey a false impression or practise deceptionthe camera does not lie

noun

an untrue or deceptive statement deliberately used to mislead

something that is deliberately intended to deceive

give the lie to

to disprove
to accuse of lying

Related forms

Related adjective: mendacious

Word Origin for lie

Old English lyge (n), lēogan (vb); related to Old High German liogan, Gothic liugan

British Dictionary definitions for lay (7 of 7)

lie

²

/ (laɪ) /

verb lies, lying, lay (leɪ) or lain (leɪn) (intr)

(often foll by down) to place oneself or be in a prostrate position, horizontal to the ground

to be situated, esp on a horizontal surfacethe pencil is lying on the desk; India lies to the south of Russia

to be buriedhere lies Jane Brown

(copula) to be and remain (in a particular state or condition)to lie dormant

to stretch or extendthe city lies before us

(usually foll by on or upon) to rest or weighmy sins lie heavily on my mind

(usually foll by in) to exist or consist inherentlystrength lies in unity

(foll by with)

to be or rest (with)the ultimate decision lies with you
archaic to have sexual intercourse (with)

(of an action, claim, appeal, etc) to subsist; be maintainable or admissible

archaic to stay temporarily

lie in state See state (def. 13)

lie low

to keep or be concealed or quiet
to wait for a favourable opportunity

noun

the manner, place, or style in which something is situated

the hiding place or lair of an animal

golf

the position of the ball after a shota bad lie
the angle made by the shaft of the club before the upswing

lie of the land

the topography of the land
the way in which a situation is developing or people are behaving

See also lie down, lie in, lie to, lie up

Word Origin for lie

Old English licgan akin to Old High German ligen to lie, Latin lectus bed

xref

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

Medicine definitions for lay

lie

[ lī ]

n.

The manner or position in which something is situated, especially the relation that the long axis of a fetus bears to that of its mother.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with lay (1 of 2)

lay

In addition to the idioms beginning with lay

also see:

let it lay

Also see underlaid uplieput.

Idioms and Phrases with lay (2 of 2)

lie

In addition to the idioms beginning with lie

lie down
lie in
lie in state
lie in wait
lie low
lie through one's teeth
lie with

also see:

barefaced lie
give the lie to
(lie) in state
lay of the land (how the land lies)
let sleeping dogs lie
make one's bed and lie in it
take lying down
white lie

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