lay out
Britishverb
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to arrange or spread out
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to prepare (a corpse) for burial or cremation
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to plan or contrive
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informal to spend (money), esp lavishly
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informal to knock unconscious
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informal to exert (oneself) or put (oneself) to an effort
he laid himself out to please us
noun
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the arrangement or plan of something, such as a building
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the arrangement of written material, photographs, or other artwork on an advertisement or page in a book, newspaper, etc
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a preliminary plan indicating this
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a drawing showing the relative disposition of parts in a machine, etc
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the act of laying out
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something laid out
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the formation of cards on the table in various games, esp in patience
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informal a residence or establishment, esp a large one
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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]
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Prepare a dead body for burial, as in He died that morning and was laid out for the wake by afternoon . [Late 1500s]
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Rebuke harshly, as in She laid me out for breaking the vase . [ Slang ; late 1800s]
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Knock unconscious or to the ground, render helpless, as in He laid him out with one good punch . [Late 1800s]
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Expend, spend, as in She laid out a fortune on jewelry . [Mid-1400s]
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Display or arrange, especially in a particular order, as in He asked her to lay out the merchandise in an attractive way . [Mid-1400s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to reporting from the Times, Giuffra met last month with justice department officials, to lay out concerns about the case.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
His supporters want Starmer to lay out a timetable for his departure that allows Burnham to return to parliament and stand.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Unedited excerpts from the surveys, in which candidates lay out detailed goals and policy analysis, can be found at the link below to each candidate’s name:
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Doyle was there recently when the Lions invited Kevin Cavell, a 64-year-old former Baton Rouge police commander now running for Oakdale chief, to lay out his vision for the department.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
For once she should just lay out her feelings.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
