Adjacent Words

Lay definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LAY, pret. of lie. The estate lay in the county of Hartford.
When Ahab heard these words, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his head, and fasted and lay in sackcloth.
1 Kings 21.
LAY, v.t. pret. and pp. laid. [L. loco, whence locus, Eng. ley or lea. The primary sense is to send or throw; hence this word is the L. lego, legare, differently applied; Gr. to lie down.]
1. Literally, to throw down; hence, to put or place; applied to things broad or long, and in this respect differing from set. We lay a book on the table, when we place it on its side, but we set it on the end. We lay the foundation of a house, but we set a building on its foundation.
He laid his robe from him. JoNahum 3.
Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid.
A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den.
Daniel 6.
2. To beat down; to prostrate. Violent winds with rain lay corn and grass.
3. To settle; to fix and keep from rising. A shower lays the dust.
4. To place in order; to dispose with regularity in building; as, to lay bricks or stones in constructing walls.
5. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.
6. To spread or set; as, to lay snares.
7. To calm; to appease; to still; to allay.
After a tempest, when the winds are laid.
8. To quiet; to still; to restrain from walking; as, to lay the devil.
9. To spread and set in order; to prepare; as, to lay a table for dinner.
10. To place in the earth for growth.
The chief time of laying gilliflowers, is in July.
11. To place at hazard; to wage; to stake; as, to lay a crown or an eagle; to lay a wager.
12. To bring forth; to exclude; as, to lay eggs.
13. To add; to join.
Woe to them that join house to house, that lay field to field. Isaiah 5.
14. To put; to apply.
She layeth her hand to the spindle. Proverbs 31.
15. To asses; to charge; to impose; as, to lay a tax on land; to lay a duty on salt.
16. To charge; to impute; as, to lay blame on one; to lay want of prudence to one's charge.
17. To impose, as evil, burden, or punishment.
The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53.
18. To enjoin as a duty; as, to lay commands on one.
19. To exhibit; to present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county.
20. To prostrate; to slay.
The leaders first he laid along.
21. To depress and lose sight of, by sailing or departing from; as, to lay the land; a seaman's phrase.
22. To station; to set; as, to lay an ambush.
23. To contrive; to scheme; to plan.
To lay a cable, to twist or unite the strands.
To lay apart, to put away; to reject.
Lay apart all filthiness. James 1.
1. To lay aside, to put off or away; not to retain.
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us. Hebrews 41.
2. To discontinue; as, to lay aside the use of any thing.
To lay away, to reposit in store; to put aside for preservation.
To lay before, to exhibit; to show; to present to view. The papers are laid before Congress.
1. To lay by, to reserve for future use.
Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him. 1 Corinthians 16.
2. To put away; to dismiss.
Let brave spirits not be laid by, as persons unnecessary for the time.
3. To put off.
And she arose and went away, and laid by her veil. Genesis 38.
1. To lay down, to deposit, as a pledge, equivalent or satisfaction; to resign.
I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10.
2. To give up; to resign; to quit or relinquish; as, to lay down an office or commission.
3. To quit; to surrender the use of; as, to lay down one's arms.
4. To offer or advance; as, to lay down a proposition or principle.
To lay one's self down, to commit to repose.
I will both lay me down in peace and sleep - Psalms 4.
To lay hold of, to seize; to catch. To lay hold on, is used in a like sense.
To lay in, to store; to treasure; to provide previously.
To lay on, to apply with force; to inflict; as, to lay on blows.
To lay open, to open; to make bare; to uncover; also, to show; to expose; to reveal; as, to lay open the designs of an enemy.
To lay over, to spread over; to incrust; to cover the surface; as, to lay over with gold or silver.
1. To lay out, to expend; as, to lay out money, or sums of money.
2. To display; to discover.
He takes occasion to lay out bigotry and false confidence in all its colors. Obs.
3. To plan; to dispose in order the several parts; as, to lay out a garden.
4. To dress in grave clothes and place in a decent posture; as, to lay out a corpse. Shakespeare uses to lay, forth.
5. To exert; as, to lay out all one's strength. So with the reciprocal pronoun, to lay one's self out, is to exert strength.
1. To lay to, to charge upon; to impute.
2. To apply with vigor.
3. To attack or harass. Obs.
4. To check the motion of a ship, and cause her to be stationary.
To lay together, to collect; to bring to one place; also, to bring into one view.
To lay to heart, to permit to affect greatly.
To lay under, to subject to; as, to lay one under restraint or obligation.
1. To lay up, to store; to treasure; to reposit for future use.
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Matthew 6.
2. To confine to the bed or chamber. He is laid up with the gout.
To lay siege, to besiege; to encompass with an army.
To lay wait, to station for private attack; to lay in ambush for.
To lay the course, in sailing, is to sail towards the port intended, without gibing.
To lay waste, to destroy; to desolate; to deprive of inhabitants, improvements and productions.
To lay the land, in seamen's language, is to cause the land apparently to sink or appear lower, by sailing from it; the distance diminishing the elevation.
LAY, v.i.
1. To bring or produce eggs.
Hens will greedily eat the herb that will make them lay the better.
2. To contrive; to form a scheme. [Unusual.]
To lay about, to strike or throw the arms on all sides; to act with vigor.
To lay at, to strike or to endeavor to strike.
The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold. Job 41.
1. To lay out, to purpose; to intend. he lays out to make a journey.
2. To take measures.
I made strict inquiry wherever I came, and laid out for intelligence of all places.
To lay upon, to importune. Obs.
LAY, n.
1. That which lies or is laid; a row; a stratum; a layer; one rank in a series reckoned upward; as a lay of wood.
A viol should have a lay of wire-strings below.
2. A bet; a wager. [Little used.]
3. Station; rank. [Not used.]
LAY, n. [L. locus. See Lay, the verb. The words which signify place, are from verbs which express setting or laying. It is written also ley, and lea, but less properly.]
A meadow; a plain or plat of grass land.
A tuft of daisies on a flowery lay.
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea.
LAY, n. [Gr. to sound. L. laudo, plaudo.]
A song; as a loud or soft lay; immortal lays.
[It is used chiefly in poetry.]
LAY, a. [L. laicus, Gr. from people.]
Pertaining to the laity or people, as distinct from the clergy; not clerical; as a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy; "set his collar in laic rather than clerical position"; "the lay ministry" [syn: laic, lay, secular]
2: not of or from a profession; "a lay opinion as to the cause of the disease" n
1: a narrative song with a recurrent refrain [syn: ballad, lay]
2: a narrative poem of popular origin [syn: ballad, lay] v
1: put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point" [syn: put, set, place, pose, position, lay]
2: put in a horizontal position; "lay the books on the table"; "lay the patient carefully onto the bed" [syn: lay, put down, repose]
3: prepare or position for action or operation; "lay a fire"; "lay the foundation for a new health care plan"
4: lay eggs; "This hen doesn't lay"
5: impose as a duty, burden, or punishment; "lay a responsibility on someone"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (laid; laying) Etymology: Middle English leyen, from Old English lecgan; akin to Old English licgan to lie — more at lie Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to beat or strike down with force 2. a. to put or set down <lay your books on the table> b. to place for rest or sleep; especially bury 3. to bring forth and deposit (an egg) 4. calm, allay <lay the dust> 5. bet, wager 6. to press down giving a smooth and even surface 7. a. to dispose or spread over or on a surface <lay track> <lay plaster> b. to set in order or position <lay a table for dinner> <lay brick> c. to put (strands) in place and twist to form a rope, hawser, or cable; also to make by so doing <lay up rope> 8. a. to impose as a duty, burden, or punishment <lay a tax> b. to put as a burden of reproach <laid the blame on her> c. to advance as an accusation ; impute <the disaster was laid to faulty inspection> 9. to place (something immaterial) on something <lay stress on grammar> 10. prepare, contrive <a well-laid plan> 11. a. to bring against or into contact with something ; apply <laid the watch to his ear> b. to prepare or position for action or operation <lay a fire in the fireplace>; also to adjust (a gun) to the proper direction and elevation 12. to bring to a specified condition <lay waste the land> 13. a. assert, allege <lay claim to an estate> b. to submit for examination and judgment <laid her case before the commission> 14. often vulgar to copulate with intransitive verb 1. to produce and deposit eggs 2. nonstandard lie I 3. wager, bet 4. dialect plan, prepare 5. a. to apply oneself vigorously <laid to his oars> b. to proceed to a specified place or position on a ship <lay aloft> Usage: lay has been used intransitively in the sense of “lie” since the 14th century. The practice was unremarked until around 1770; attempts to correct it have been a fixture of schoolbooks ever since. Generations of teachers and critics have succeeded in taming most literary and learned writing, but intransitive lay persists in familiar speech and is a bit more common in general prose than one might suspect. Much of the problem lies in the confusing similarity of the principal parts of the two words. Another influence may be a folk belief that lie is for people and lay is for things. Some commentators are ready to abandon the distinction, suggesting that lay is on the rise socially. But if it does rise to respectability, it is sure to do so slowly: many people have invested effort in learning to keep lie and lay distinct. Remember that even though many people do use lay for lie, others will judge you unfavorably if you do. II. noun Date: 1590 1. covert, lair 2. something (as a layer) that lies or is laid 3. a. line of action ; plan b. line of work ; occupation 4. a. terms of sale or employment ; price b. share of profit (as on a whaling voyage) paid in lieu of wages 5. a. the amount of advance of any point in a rope strand for one turn b. the nature of a fiber rope as determined by the amount of twist, the angle of the strands, and the angle of the threads in the strands 6. the way in which a thing lies or is laid in relation to something else <the lay of the land> 7. the state of one that lays eggs <hens coming into lay> 8. a. usually vulgar a partner in sexual intercourse b. usually vulgar sexual intercourse III. past of lie IV. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French lai Date: 13th century 1. a simple narrative poem ; ballad 2. melody, song V. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French lai, from Late Latin laicus, from Greek laikos of the people, from laos people Date: 15th century 1. of or relating to the laity ; not ecclesiastical 2. of or relating to members of a religious house occupied with domestic or manual work <a lay brother> 3. not of a particular profession <the lay public>; also lacking extensive knowledge of a particular subject

U.S. Military Dictionary

1. Direct or adjust the aim of a weapon. 2. Setting of a weapon for a given range, a given direction, or both. 3. To drop one or more aerial bombs or aerial mines onto the surface from an aircraft. 4. To spread a smoke screen on the ground from an aircraft. 5. To calculate or project a course. 6. To lay on: a. to execute a bomber strike; b. to set up a mission.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v. (past and past part. laid) 1 tr. place on a surface, esp. horizontally or in the proper or specified place. 2 tr. put or bring into a certain or the required position or state (laid his hand on her arm; lay a carpet). 3 intr. dial. or erron. lie. Usage: This use, incorrect in standard English, is probably partly encouraged by confusion with lay as the past of lie, as in the dog lay on the floor which is correct; the dog is laying on the floor is not correct. 4 tr. make by laying (lay the foundations). 5 tr. (often absol.) (of a hen bird) produce (an egg). 6 tr. a cause to subside or lie flat. b deal with to remove (a ghost, fear, etc.). 7 tr. place or present for consideration (a case, proposal, etc.). 8 tr. set down as a basis or starting-point. 9 tr. (usu. foll. by on) attribute or impute (blame etc.). 10 tr. locate (a scene etc.) in a certain place. 11 tr. prepare or make ready (a plan or a trap). 12 tr. prepare (a table) for a meal. 13 tr. place or arrange the material for (a fire). 14 tr. put down as a wager; stake. 15 tr. (foll. by with) coat or strew (a surface). 16 tr. sl. offens. have sexual intercourse with (esp. a woman). --n. 1 the way, position, or direction in which something lies. 2 sl. offens. a partner (esp. female) in sexual intercourse. 3 the direction or amount of twist in rope-strands. Phrases and idioms: in lay (of a hen) laying eggs regularly. laid-back colloq. relaxed, unbothered, easygoing. laid paper paper with the surface marked in fine ribs. laid up confined to bed or the house. lay about one 1 hit out on all sides. 2 criticize indiscriminately. lay aside 1 put to one side. 2 cease to practise or consider. 3 save (money etc.) for future needs. lay at the door of see DOOR. lay back cause to slope back from the vertical. lay bare expose, reveal. lay a charge make an accusation. lay claim to claim as one's own. lay down 1 put on the ground. 2 relinquish; give up (an office). 3 formulate (a rule or principle). 4 pay or wager (money). 5 begin to construct (a ship or railway). 6 store (wine) in a cellar. 7 set down on paper. 8 sacrifice (one's life). 9 convert (land) into pasture. 10 record (esp. popular music). lay down the law see LAW. lay one's hands on obtain, acquire, locate. lay hands on 1 seize or attack. 2 place one's hands on or over, esp. in confirmation, ordination, or spiritual healing. lay hold of seize or grasp. lay in provide oneself with a stock of. lay into colloq. punish or scold heavily. lay it on thick (or with a trowel) colloq. flatter or exaggerate grossly. lay low overthrow, kill, or humble. lay off 1 discharge (workers) temporarily because of a shortage of work. 2 colloq. desist. lay-off n. 1 a temporary discharge of workers. 2 a period when this is in force. lay on 1 provide (a facility, amenity, etc.). 2 impose (a penalty, obligation, etc.). 3 inflict (blows). 4 spread on (paint etc.). lay on the table see TABLE. lay open 1 break the skin of. 2 (foll. by to) expose (to criticism etc.). lay out 1 spread out. 2 expose to view. 3 prepare (a corpse) for burial. 4 colloq. knock unconscious. 5 dispose (grounds etc.) according to a plan. 6 expend (money). 7 refl. (foll. by to + infin.) take pains (to do something) (laid themselves out to help). lay store by see STORE. lay to rest bury in a grave. lay up 1 store, save. 2 put (a ship etc.) out of service. lay waste see WASTE. Etymology: OE lecgan f. Gmc 2. adj. 1 a non-clerical. b not ordained into the clergy. 2 a not professionally qualified, esp. in law or medicine. b of or done by such persons. Phrases and idioms: lay brother (or sister) a person who has taken the vows of a religious order but is not ordained and is employed in ancillary or manual work. lay reader a lay person licensed to conduct some religious services. Etymology: ME f. OF lai f. eccl.L laicus f. Gk la{iuml}kos LAIC 3. n. 1 a short lyric or narrative poem meant to be sung. 2 a song. Etymology: ME f. OF lai, Prov. lais, of unkn. orig. 4. past of LIE.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, n. The laity; the common people. [Obs.] The learned have no more privilege than the lay. --B. Jonson.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, n. A meadow. See Lea. [Obs.] --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, n. [OF. lei faith, law, F. loi law. See Legal.] 1. Faith; creed; religious profession. [Obs.] Of the sect to which that he was born He kept his lay, to which that he was sworn. --Chaucer. 2. A law. [Obs.] ``Many goodly lays.'' --Spenser. 3. An obligation; a vow. [Obs.] They bound themselves by a sacred lay and oath. -- Holland.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, imp. of Lie, to recline.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, a. [OF. lai, lais, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. laoi, laoidh, song, poem, OIr. laoidh poem, verse; but cf. also AS. l[=a]c play, sport, G. leich a sort of poem (cf. Lake to sport). ?.] 1. A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad. --Spenser. Sir W. Scott. 2. A melody; any musical utterance. The throstle cock made eke his lay. --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, a. [F. lai, L. laicus, Gr. ? of or from the people, lay, from ?, ?, people. Cf. Laic.] 1. Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother. 2. Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.[Obs.] 3. Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease. Lay baptism (Eccl.), baptism administered by a lay person. --F. G. Lee. Lay brother (R. C. Ch.), one received into a convent of monks under the three vows, but not in holy orders. Lay clerk (Eccl.), a layman who leads the responses of the congregation, etc., in the church service. --Hook. Lay days (Com.), time allowed in a charter party for taking in and discharging cargo. --McElrath. Lay elder. See 2d Elder, 3, note.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Laid; p. pr. & vb. n. Laying.] [OE. leggen, AS. lecgan, causative, fr. licgan to lie; akin to D. leggen, G. legen, Icel. leggja, Goth. lagjan. See Lie to be prostrate.] 1. To cause to lie down, to be prostrate, or to lie against something; to put or set down; to deposit; as, to lay a book on the table; to lay a body in the grave; a shower lays the dust. A stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den. --Dan. vi. 17. Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid. --Milton. 2. To place in position; to establish firmly; to arrange with regularity; to dispose in ranks or tiers; as, to lay a corner stone; to lay bricks in a wall; to lay the covers on a table. 3. To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan. 4. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint. 5. To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit. After a tempest when the winds are laid. --Waller. 6. To cause to lie dead or dying. Brave C[ae]neus laid Ortygius on the plain, The victor C[ae]neus was by Turnus slain. --Dryden. 7. To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk. I dare lay mine honor He will remain so. --Shak. 8. To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs. 9. To apply; to put. She layeth her hands to the spindle. --Prov. xxxi. 19. 10. To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. --Is. Iiii. 6. 11. To impute; to charge; to allege. God layeth not folly to them. --Job xxiv. 12. Lay the fault on us. --Shak. 12. To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one. 13. To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one. 14. (Law) To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue. --Bouvier. 15. (Mil.) To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun. 16. (Rope Making) To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them; as, to lay a cable or rope. 17. (Print.) (a) To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone. (b) To place (new type) properly in the cases. To lay asleep, to put sleep; to make unobservant or careless. --Bacon. To lay bare, to make bare; to strip. And laid those proud roofs bare to summer's rain. --Byron. To lay before, to present to; to submit for consideration; as, the papers are laid before Congress. To lay by. (a) To save. (b) To discard. Let brave spirits . . . not be laid by. --Bacon. To lay by the heels, to put in the stocks. --Shak. To lay down. (a) To stake as a wager. (b) To yield; to relinquish; to surrender; as, to lay down one's life; to lay down one's arms. (c) To assert or advance, as a proposition or principle. To lay forth. (a) To extend at length; (reflexively) to exert one's self; to expatiate. [Obs.] (b) To lay out (as a corpse). [Obs.] --Shak. To lay hands on, to seize. To lay hands on one's self, or To lay violent hands on one's self, to injure one's self; specif., to commit suicide. To lay heads together, to consult. To lay hold of, or To lay hold on, to seize; to catch. To lay in, to store; to provide. To lay it on, to apply without stint. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, v. i. 1. To produce and deposit eggs. 2. (Naut.) To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay forward; to lay aloft. 3. To lay a wager; to bet. To lay about, or To lay about one, to strike vigorously in all directions. --J. H. Newman. To lay at, to strike or strike at. --Spenser. To lay for, to prepare to capture or assault; to lay wait for. [Colloq.] --Bp Hall. To lay in for, to make overtures for; to engage or secure the possession of. [Obs.] ``I have laid in for these.'' --Dryden. To lay on, to strike; to beat; to attack. --Shak. To lay out, to purpose; to plan; as, he lays out to make a journey.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lay Lay, n. 1. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood. --Addison. A viol should have a lay of wire strings below. --Bacon. Note: The lay of a rope is right-handed or left-handed according to the hemp or strands are laid up. See Lay, v. t., 16. The lay of land is its topographical situation, esp. its slope and its surface features. 2. A wager. ``My fortunes against any lay worth naming.'' 3. (a) A job, price, or profit. [Prov. Eng.] --Wright. (b) A share of the proceeds or profits of an enterprise; as, when a man ships for a whaling voyage, he agrees for a certain lay. [U. S.] 4. (Textile Manuf.) (a) A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st Lea (a) . (b) The lathe of a loom. See Lathe, 3. 5. A plan; a scheme. [Slang] --Dickens. Lay figure. (a) A jointed model of the human body that may be put in any attitude; -- used for showing the disposition of drapery, etc. (b) A mere puppet; one who serves the will of others without independent volition. Lay race, that part of a lay on which the shuttle travels in weaving; -- called also shuttle race.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

3. The movable swing frame of a loom, carrying the reed for separating the warp threads and beating up the weft; -- called also lay and batten. Blanchard lathe, a lathe for turning irregular forms after a given pattern, as lasts, gunstocks, and the like. Drill lathe, or Speed lathe, a small lathe which, from its high speed, is adapted for drilling; a hand lathe. Engine lathe, a turning lathe in which the cutting tool has an automatic feed; -- used chiefly for turning and boring metals, cutting screws, etc. Foot lathe, a lathe which is driven by a treadle worked by the foot. Geometric lathe. See under Geometric Hand lathe, a lathe operated by hand; a power turning lathe without an automatic feed for the tool. Slide lathe, an engine lathe. Throw lathe, a small lathe worked by one hand, while the cutting tool is held in the other.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lie Lie, v. i. [imp. Lay (l[=a]); p. p. Lain (l[=a]n), (Lien (l[imac]"[e^]n), Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Lying.] [OE. lien, liggen, AS. licgan; akin to D. liggen, OHG. ligen, licken, G. liegen, Icel. liggja, Sw. ligga, Dan. ligge, Goth. ligan, Russ. lejate, L. lectus bed, Gr. le`chos bed, le`xasqai to lie. Cf. Lair, Law, Lay, v. t., Litter, Low, adj.] 1. To rest extended on the ground, a bed, or any support; to be, or to put one's self, in an horizontal position, or nearly so; to be prostate; to be stretched out; -- often with down, when predicated of living creatures; as, the book lies on the table; the snow lies on the roof; he lies in his coffin. The watchful traveler . . . Lay down again, and closed his weary eyes. --Dryden. 2. To be situated; to occupy a certain place; as, Ireland lies west of England; the meadows lie along the river; the ship lay in port. 3. To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in a certain state or condition; as, to lie waste; to lie fallow; to lie open; to lie hid; to lie grieving; to lie under one's displeasure; to lie at the mercy of the waves; the paper does not lie smooth on the wall. 4. To be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding place; to consist; -- with in. Envy lies between beings equal in nature, though unequal in circumstances. --Collier. He that thinks that diversion may not lie in hard labor, forgets the early rising and hard riding of huntsmen. --Locke. 5. To lodge; to sleep. Whiles I was now trifling at home, I saw London, . . . where I lay one night only. --Evelyn. Mr. Quinion lay at our house that night. --Dickens. 6. To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest. The wind is loud and will not lie. --Shak. 7. (Law) To be sustainable; to be capable of being maintained. ``An appeal lies in this case.'' --Parsons. Note: Through ignorance or carelessness speakers and writers often confuse the forms of the two distinct verbs lay and lie. Lay is a transitive verb, and has for its preterit laid; as, he told me to lay it down, and I laid it down. Lie is intransitive, and has for its preterit lay; as, he told me to lie down, and I lay down. Some persons blunder by using laid for the preterit of lie; as, he told me to lie down, and I laid down. So persons often say incorrectly, the ship laid at anchor; they laid by during the storm; the book was laying on the shelf, etc. It is only necessary to remember, in all such cases, that laid is the preterit of lay, and not of lie. To lie along the shore (Naut.), to coast, keeping land in sight. To lie at the door of, to be imputable to; as, the sin, blame, etc., lies at your door. To lie at the heart, to be an object of affection, desire, or anxiety. --Sir W. Temple. To lie at the mercy of, to be in the power of. To lie by. (a) To remain with; to be at hand; as, he has the manuscript lying by him. (b) To rest; to intermit labor; as, we lay by during the heat of the day. To lie hard or heavy, to press or weigh; to bear hard. To lie in, to be in childbed; to bring forth young. To lie in one, to be in the power of; to belong to. ``As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.'' --Rom. xii. 18. To lie in the way, to be an obstacle or impediment. To lie in wait, to wait in concealment; to lie in ambush. To lie on or upon. (a) To depend on; as, his life lies on the result. (b) To bear, rest, press, or weigh on. To lie low, to remain in concealment or inactive. [Slang] To lie on hand, To lie on one's hands, to remain unsold or unused; as, the goods are still lying on his hands; they have too much time lying on their hands. To lie on the head of, to be imputed to. What he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my head. --Shak. To lie over. (a) To remain unpaid after the time when payment is due, as a note in bank. (b) To be deferred to some future occasion, as a resolution in a public deliberative body. To lie to (Naut.), to stop or delay; especially, to head as near the wind as possible as being the position of greatest safety in a gale; -- said of a ship. Cf. To bring to, under Bring. To lie under, to be subject to; to suffer; to be oppressed by. To lie with. (a) To lodge or sleep with. (b) To have sexual intercourse with. (c) To belong to; as, it lies with you to make amends.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

I. VERB AND NOUN USES (lays, laying, laid) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. Note: In standard English, the form 'lay' is also the past tense of the verb 'lie' in some meanings. In informal English, people sometimes use the word 'lay' instead of 'lie' in those meanings. Please look at category 9 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword. 1. If you lay something somewhere, you put it there in a careful, gentle, or neat way. Lay a sheet of newspaper on the floor... My father's working bench was covered with a cloth and his coffin was laid there... Mothers routinely lay babies on their backs to sleep. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv 2. If you lay the table or lay the places at a table, you arrange the knives, forks, and other things that people need on the table before a meal. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use set) The butler always laid the table. VERB: V n 3. If you lay something such as carpets, cables, or foundations, you put them into their permanent position. A man came to lay the saloon carpet... Public utilities dig up roads to lay pipes. VERB: V n, V n 4. To lay a trap means to prepare it in order to catch someone or something. They were laying a trap for the kidnapper. VERB: V n 5. When a female bird lays an egg, it produces an egg by pushing it out of its body. My canary has laid an egg... Freezing weather in spring hampered the hens' ability to lay. VERB: V n, V 6. Lay is used with some nouns to talk about making official preparations for something. For example, if you lay the basis for something or lay plans for it, you prepare it carefully. Diplomats meeting in Chile have laid the groundwork for far-reaching environmental regulations... The organisers meet in March to lay plans. VERB: V n, V n 7. Lay is used with some nouns in expressions about accusing or blaming someone. For example, if you lay the blame for a mistake on someone, you say it is their fault, or if the police lay charges against someone, they officially accuse that person of a crime. She refused to lay the blame on any one party... Police have decided not to lay charges over allegations of a telephone tapping operation. VERB: V n prep, V n 8. If you lay yourself open to criticism or attack, or if something lays you open to it, something you do makes it possible or likely that other people will criticize or attack you. The party thereby lays itself open to charges of conflict of interest... Such a statement could lay her open to ridicule. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 9. to lay something bare: see bare to lay claim to something: see claim to lay something at someone's door: see door to lay eyes on something: see eye to lay a finger on someone: see finger to lay your hands on something: see hand to lay down the law: see law to lay down your life: see life to lay something to rest: see rest to lay siege to something: see siege II. ADJECTIVE USES 1. You use lay to describe people who are involved with a Christian church but are not members of the clergy or are not monks or nuns. Edwards is a Methodist lay preacher and social worker. ADJ: ADJ n 2. You use lay to describe people who are not experts or professionals in a particular subject or activity. It is difficult for a lay person to gain access to medical libraries... ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Put, place, lay down. 2. Impose, assess. 3. Impute, charge, ascribe. 4. Spread (on a surface). 5. Prepare, set in order, get ready. 6. Contrive, scheme, devise, concoct. 7. Allay, quiet, calm, still, appease. 8. Exorcise, drive away. 9. Bet, stake, wager, risk, hazard. 10. Produce, bring forth and deposit (as eggs). 11. (Naut.) Depress, sink, sail away from so as to lose sight of. 12. (Law.) Allege, state, name. II. n. (Rare.) 1. Row, stratum, layer. 2. Bet, wager, stake, pledge. 3. Song, lyric. 4. Lea, meadow, mead, pasture, grassy plain, grass land. III. a. Laic, laical.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

Enterprize, pursuit, or attempt: to be sick of the lay. It also means a hazard or chance: he stands a queer lay; i.e. he is in danger. Cant.

Moby Thesaurus

Brautlied, Christmas carol, Kunstlied, Liebeslied, Volkslied, abate, accredit, address, advance, aim, air, alba, align, allay, allege, alleviate, anesthetize, ante, ante up, anthem, appease, aria, art song, aspect, assign, assuage, attemper, attitude, attribute, aubade, azimuth, back, ball, ballad, ballade, ballata, bank the fire, barcarole, be intimate, bearing, bearings, bent, benumb, bet, bet on, blues, blues song, blunt, board, boat song, boom, bridal hymn, brindisi, burden with, call, calm, calypso, canso, canticle, canto, cantus, canzone, canzonet, canzonetta, carol, cast, cast loose, cast out devils, cavatina, celestial navigation, chanson, chant, chantey, charge, chasten, cite, civil, clap on ratlines, clear hawse, cohabit, come together, commit adultery, conciliate, congregational, constrain, control, cool, copulate, couple, course, cover, crawl, credit, croon, croon song, current, cushion, cut loose, dab, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, dead reckoning, deaden, deaden the pain, defuse, demand, deposit, descant, diapason, diddle, diminish, direction, direction line, dirge, ditty, downplay, drag, dress, drift, drinking song, drop, dub, dulcify, dull, ease, ease matters, enjoin, epithalamium, equalize, establish, even, exact, exorcise, exposure, extenuate, fade, fasten upon, fell, fix, flatten, flush, folk song, foment, fornicate, freight with, frig, frontage, gamble, game, give relief, grade, grease, grovel, harrow, haul, haul down, have sex, have sexual relations, hazard, heading, heave, heave apeak, heave round, heave short, helmsmanship, hymeneal, hymn, impose, impose on, impose upon, impute, inclination, incline, inflict on, inflict upon, kedge, keep within bounds, laic, laical, lay a wager, lay aloft, lay down, lay flat, lay ghosts, lay level, lay low, lay on, lay out, lay the dust, lenify, lessen, level, levy, lie, lie down, lie flat, lie limply, lie prone, lie prostrate, lie with, lied, lighten, lilt, line, line of direction, line of march, line of position, lodge, log, loll, lounge, love song, love-lilt, lubricate, lull, make a bet, make it with, make love, make out, mate, matin, measure, meet a bet, melodia, melodic line, melody, minstrel song, minstrelsy, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, mount, mow, national anthem, navigation, nonclerical, nonecclesiastical, nonministerial, nonordained, nonpastoral, nonreligious, note, numb, obtund, offer, oil, orientation, pacify, pad, palliate, park, parlay, pass, pilotage, piloting, placate, place, plane, planish, plaster, play, play against, play down, plunge, point, pose, posit, position, position line, post, poultice, pour balm into, pour balm on, pour oil on, present, propitiate, prothalamium, punt, put, put down, put on, put upon, quarter, radio bearing, range, rase, ratline down, raze, recline, reduce, reduce the temperature, refer, refrain, relieve, repose, reposit, rest, restrain, roll, roll flat, run, saddle with, salve, screw, seat, secular, secularist, secularistic, see, serena, serenade, serenata, serve, service, set, set down, settle, shave, slacken, slake, sleep with, slow down, smooth, smooth down, smooth out, smooth over, smoothen, smother, sober, sober down, soften, solo, solo part, song, soothe, soprano part, spar down, spawn, sprawl, spread, stake, stand pat, station, steamroll, steamroller, steerage, steering, stick, stifle, strain, stream the log, stupe, subdue, subject to, submit, suppress, tame, task, tax, temper, temporal, tendency, tenor, theme song, tone down, torch song, track, train, tranquilize, traverse a yard, treble, trend, tune, tune down, turn, underplay, unlash, unsacred, unspell, wager, war song, warble, warp, way, weaken, wedding song, weight down with, yoke with