Lay

Definition of lay:

To bring forth or produce eggs; to contrive; to wager. To lay about, to strike or throw the arms on all sides; to act with vigour. To lay at, to strike, or endeavour to strike. To lay in for, to make overtures for; to engage or secure the possession of. To lay on, to strike; to beat; to deal blows with vehemence; to act with vehemence. To lay out, to purpose; to intend; to take measures.
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.
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.
To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan.
To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.
To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit.
To cause to lie dead or dying.
To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk.
To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs.
To apply; to put.
To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land.
To impute; to charge; to allege.
To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one.
To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one.
To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue.
To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun.
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.
To place and arrange ( pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
To place ( new type) properly in the cases.
A wager.
A job, price, or profit.
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.
A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st Lea ( a).
The lathe of a loom. See Lathe, 3.
A plan; a scheme.
To put or place; spread over; cause to lie; settle; calm; bring forth and drop, as an egg; wager; deposit; set or form secretly; as, to lay a trap or plot; impose, as a burden; as, to lay a task on someone.
To cause to lie down: to place or set down: to beat down: to spread on a surface: to calm: to appease: to wager: to bring forth: to impose: to charge: to present.
To place, or cause, to lie down; to calm; wager; produce eggs.
To place; deposit; impose; attribute or ascribe; impute; present.
To make ready, as a table for a meal.
To produce and deposit eggs.
To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay forward; to lay aloft.
To lay a wager; to bet.
To produce eggs.
To produce eggs:- pr. p. laying; pa. t. and pa. p. laid.
put in a horizontal position; " lay the books on the table"; " lay the patient carefully onto the bed"
lay eggs; of female animals; " This hen doesn't lay"
prepare or position for action or operation; " lay a fire"; " lay the foundation for a new health care plan"
To drop eggs, as fowls.
To put or place; to beat down; to settle, as dust; to place in order; to spread on a surface; to calm; to appease; to spread and set in order; to wager; to bring forth; to impose; to charge; to enjoin; to present; to set; to contrive; to prefer. To lay a cable, to twiat or unite the strands. To lay apart, to put away. To lay aside, to put off or away; to discontinue. To lay away, to put aside for preservation. To lay before, to exhibit. To lay by, to reserve for future use. To lay down, to deposit; to resign; to relinquish; to offer or advance. To lay one's self down, to commit to repose. To lay hold of, to seize; to catch. To lay in, to store; to treasure. To lay on, to apply with force; to inflict. To lay open, to make bare; to uncovor. To lay over, to spread over; to incrust. To lay out, to expend; to plan; to dispose in order; to dress in grave- clothes, and place in a decent posture. To lay to, to charge upon; to impute; to apply with vigour; to check the motion of a ship. To lay together, to collect; to bring to one place. To lay to heart, to permit to affect greatly. To lay under, to subject to. To lay up, to store; to board; to confine to bed; to dismantle and place in dock. To lay siege, to besiege. To lay the course, to sail toward the port intended without tacking. To lay waste, to destroy; to desolate. To lay the land, to cause the land to appear to sink, by sailing from it.
Of the verb lie, often confounded with the verb lay; it is improper, for example, to say, " He lays in bed too long;" it should be, " He lies in bed too long;" see lie.
To put or place; to extend, as on the ground; to still; to keep from rising; to impute; to wager; to fix deep; to produce, as eggs; among seamen, to take a position; to come or go, as to lay forward.
Laying.
lay eggs; " This hen doesn't lay"
The laity; the common people.
A meadow. See Lea.
Faith; creed; religious profession.
A law.
An obligation; a vow.
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.
Past tense of the intransitive verb lie.
A simple song or poem.
Pa. t. of LIE, to lay one's self down.
A song: a lyric or narrative poem.
Imp. of LIE, v.
The manner in which something lies or is placed; a line of work; a layer; a bet.
A song; ballad.
That which is laid; a layer; the direction in which the strands of a rope are twisted; share of profit.
A meadow; a lea.
A narrative poem.
That which lies or is laid; a stratum; a layer.
A song; a poem in a simple style; a metrical tale.
The old spelling of lea, which see.
Land under grass; grass or meadow- land.
of Lie
of Lie, to recline.
not of or from a profession; " a lay opinion as to the cause of the disease"
Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.
Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.
Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease.
A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad.
A melody; any musical utterance.
Laic.
Pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; not clerical; unprofessional.
Not- clerical; pert. to the people as distinguished from the clergy.
Laid.
Did lie.

Usage examples for lay

Rex lay quiet for a time. Two Boys and a Fortune by Matthew White, Jr.
Her prayer- book lay beside her. The Case of Richard Meynell by Mrs. Humphrey Ward
All we can do is to lay low. The Blind Lion of the Congo by Elliott Whitney
As yet, Anthony Dexter's body lay in his own room. A Spinner in the Sun by Myrtle Reed

Lay

Common misspellings for lay:

Definition of lay:

Usage examples for lay