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

See Examples For:

lay out

Working in food truck businesses has given Ramirez first-hand knowledge of how to efficiently lay out a mobile kitchen and set up new food vendors for success before they even pick up a knife.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

The Wilder works lay out a minefield of mixed perceptions about the American story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Over the last year, the Labor Department has filed amicus briefs — friend-of-the-court filings that lay out legal arguments for judges — in several class-action lawsuits on the side of the defendant company.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

The final few points of the document lay out the logistics of how the deal will unfold.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

I used to lay out my Christmas presents on the bed the same way.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

Related Words

• arrange
• chart
• outline