lay

verb \ ˈlā \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of lay

laid play \ˈlād\; laying

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

She laid the baby in his crib for a nap.

; 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

brushing to lay the nap

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 putting strands in place and twisting

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 :¹lie

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

— lay an egg

:to fail or blunder especially embarrassingly

The professor tried to be funny, but he laid an egg.

— lay eyes on

:see, behold

I never laid eyes on her before today.

— lay into

:to attack especially verbally

laid into the referee

— lay on the table

1 :to remove (a parliamentary motion) from consideration indefinitely

2 British :to put (something, such as legislation) on the agenda

See lay defined for English-language learners

See lay defined for kids

lay vs. lie

lay has been used intransitively in the sense of "lie"

- lay down for a quick nap

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.

Examples of lay in a Sentence

Lay the fabric carefully on the table.
He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She laid the baby in his crib for a nap.
When will they lay the foundation for the addition?
lay tracks for the new railroad
They laid him in his grave.

Origin and Etymology of lay

Middle English leyen, from Old English lecgan; akin to Old English licgan to lie — more at lie

lay Synonyms

Synonyms

depose, deposit, dispose, emplace, fix, place, position, put, set, set up, situate, stick

Antonyms

raise

Related Words

move, rearrange, reorder, shift; orient; establish, locate, plant, settle; clap, flop, plank, plop, plump, plunk (or plonk), plunk down, slap; ensconce, niche; assemble, collect; carry; berth, park; affix, anchor, lock, lodge, wedge; array, lay out, line up, queue, rank; set down

Near Antonyms

relocate, remove, take; banish; dislodge, displace, replace, supersede, supplant

lay

noun \ ˈlā \

Definition of lay

1 :covert, lair

2 :something (such as a layer) that lies or is laid (see ¹lay)

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 vulgar :a partner in sexual intercourse

b usually vulgar :sexual intercourse

Origin and Etymology of lay

see ¹lay

lay

Definition of lay

past tense of lie

lay

noun \ ˈlā \

Definition of lay

1 :a simple ²narrative poem :ballad

2 :melody, song

Origin and Etymology of lay

Middle English, from Anglo-French lai — see ⁵lay

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

lay

adjective \ ˈlā \

Definition of lay

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

See lay defined for English-language learners

Examples of lay in a Sentence

a science magazine written for the lay public

Origin and Etymology of lay

Middle English, from Anglo-French lai, from Late Latin laicus, from Greek laikos of the people, from laos people

LAY Defined for English Language Learners

lay

adjective

Definition of lay for English Language Learners

: not trained in a certain profession : not having a lot of knowledge about a certain thing
: belonging to a religion but not officially a priest, minister, etc.

LAY Defined for Kids

lay

verb \ ˈlā \

Definition of lay for Students

laid \ˈlād\; laying

1 :to put or set down

I laid my hat on the table.

2 :to bring down (as with force)

Crops were laid flat by the wind.

3 :to produce an egg

4 :bury 2

5 :to place in position on or along a surface

lay tracks

6 :prepare 1, arrange

lay a trap

7 :to bring into contact with

He laid the watch to his ear.

8 :to place a burden, charge, or penalty

lay a tax

He didn't know where to lay blame.

— lay down

:to declare forcefully

lay down the law

— lay eyes on

:to catch sight of :see

— lay in

:to store for later use

They laid in supplies for the winter.

— lay off

1 :to stop employing often temporarily

The company laid off workers.

2 :to let alone

Lay off the candy.

— lay out

1 :to plan in detail

2 :to arrange in a particular pattern or design

She laid out a garden.

3 :to explain in detail

He laid out the reasons for his decision.

— lay up

1 :to store up

2 :to disable or confine with illness or injury My ankle sprain laid me up for two weeks.

lay

noun

Definition of lay for Students

:the way a thing lies in relation to something else

the lay of the land

lay

Definition of lay for Students

past tense of lie

Law Dictionary

lay

transitive verb

legal Definition of lay

laid; laying

1 :to impose as a duty, burden, or punishment

lay a tax

2 a :to put forward :assert

lay a claim

b :to submit for examination and determination

laid a case before the commission

lay

legal Definition of lay

past of lie

Learn More about lay

See words that rhyme with lay Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lay Spanish Central: Translation of lay Nglish: Translation of lay for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lay for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lay

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lay vs. lie

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Origin and Etymology of lay

lay Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

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lay

Definition of lay

Origin and Etymology of lay

lay

Definition of lay

lay

Definition of lay

Origin and Etymology of lay

Other Literature Terms

lay

Definition of lay

Examples of lay in a Sentence

Origin and Etymology of lay

LAY Defined for English Language Learners

lay

Definition of lay for English Language Learners

LAY Defined for Kids

lay

Definition of lay for Students

lay

Definition of lay for Students

lay

Definition of lay for Students

Law Dictionary

lay

legal Definition of lay

lay

legal Definition of lay

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