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

---

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.

---

Example Sentences

Thousands of people have been visiting the scene to lay down flowers and pray, as well as offer handwritten messages for victims.

From BBC

“You know, he — we agreed early on, I’d lay down a budget, which I did on March 9th, and he’d lay down a budget,” Mr. Biden said after disembarking Air Force One in Dover, Delaware.

From Washington Times

The party and affiliated committees have “long been hesitant about laying down big bucks on California races because the markets are so expensive. They feel like there’s a better return on investment” elsewhere, Wasserman added.

From Los Angeles Times

When Mr. Brewer unlocked the cell door, one of the women inside was laying down for a nap.

From New York Times

If these earthworm-inspired robots do eventually reach a market, they could someday be tunnelling away beneath our feet, helping to lay down the equipment that keeps our societies functioning.

From BBC

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