- verblay (verb) · lays (third person present) · laid (past tense) · laid (past participle) · laying (present participle)
- put down, especially gently or carefully:"she laid the baby in his crib" · "he laid a comforting hand over hers"
- prevent (something) from rising off the ground:"there may have been the odd light shower just to lay the dust"
- put down and set in position for use:"it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional" · "the groundwork for change had been laid"
- BRITISH ENGLISHset cutlery, crockery, and mats on (a table) in preparation for a meal:"she laid the table for the evening meal"
- (be laid with)cover (a surface) with objects or a substance:"the floor was laid with tiles"
- put the material for (a fire) in place and arrange it.
- make ready (a trap) for someone:"she wouldn't put it past him to lay a trap for her"
- work out (an idea or suggestion) in detail ready for use or presentation:"I'd like more time to lay my plans"
- locate (an episode in a play, novel, etc.) in a certain place:"no one who knew the area could be in doubt where the scene was laid"
- stake (an amount of money) in a wager:"she suspected he was pulling her leg, but she wouldn't have laid money on it"
- used with an abstract noun so that the phrase formed has the same meaning as the verb related to the noun used, e.g., “lay the blame on” means ‘to blame’:"she laid great stress on little courtesies"
- (of a female bird, insect, reptile, or amphibian) produce (an egg) from inside the body:"flamingos lay only one egg" · "the hens were laying at the same rate as usual"
- vulgar slanghave sex with.
- nauticalfollow (a specified course):"I'm going to lay a course for Ibiza harbor"
nounlay (noun)- the general appearance of an area, including the direction of streams, hills, and similar features:"the lay of the surrounding countryside"
- the position or direction in which something lies:"roll the carpet against the lay of the nap"
- the direction or amount of twist in rope strands.
- vulgar slangan act or instance of having sex.
- a person with a particular ability or availability as a sexual partner.
- the laying of eggs or the period during which they are laid:"the onset of lay may be marked by a dropping of the duck's abdomen"
OriginOld English lecgan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leggen and German legen, also to lie.adjectivelay (adjective)- not ordained into or belonging to the clergy:"a lay preacher"
- not having professional qualifications or expert knowledge, especially in law or medicine:"lay and professional views of medicine"
OriginMiddle English: from Old French lai, via late Latin from Greek laïkos, from laos ‘people’. Compare with laic.verblay (past tense)- (of a person or animal) be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface:"the man lay face downward on the grass" · "I had to lie down for two hours because I was groggy" · "Lily lay back on the pillows and watched him"
- (of a thing) rest flat on a surface:"a book lay open on the table"
- (of a dead person) be buried in a particular place:"his body lies in a crypt" · "his epitaph reads “Here lies Garcia, King of Galicia and Portugal”"
- be, remain, or be kept in a specified state:"the church lies in ruins today" · "putting homeless families into apartments that would otherwise lie empty"
- (of something abstract) reside or be found:"the solution lies in a return to “traditional family values.”"
- (of a place) be situated in a specified position or direction:"the small town of Swampscott lies about ten miles north of Boston"
- (of a scene) extend from the observer's viewpoint in a specified direction:"stand here, and all of Amsterdam lies before you"
- law(of an action, charge, or claim) be admissible or sustainable:"an action for restitution would lie for money paid in breach of the law"
OriginOld English licgan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch liggen and German liegen, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek lektron, lekhos and Latin lectus ‘bed’.Similar and Opposite Wordsverb- put down, especially gently or carefully:
- used with an abstract noun so that the phrase formed has the same meaning as the verb related to the noun used, e.g., “lay the blame on” means ‘to blame’:
- (of a female bird, insect, reptile, or amphibian) produce (an egg) from inside the body:
adjective- not ordained into or belonging to the clergy:
- not having professional qualifications or expert knowledge, especially in law or medicine:
verb- (of a person or animal) be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface:
- (of a place) be situated in a specified position or direction:
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- Learn more:✕This summary was generated using AI based on multiple online sources. To view the original source information, use the "Learn more" links.The verb lay means ‘to put something down carefully in a flat position’. It must have an object. It is a regular verb, but note the spelling of the past simple and -ed form: laid not layed: …dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/layverb (used with object), laid, lay·ing. to put or place in a horizontal position or position of rest; set down: to lay a book on a desk.www.dictionary.com/browse/layDefinition of lay verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary lay verb /leɪ/ see lie 1 Verb Forms put down/spread [transitive] to put someone or something in a particular position, especially when it is done gently or carefully lay somebody/something (+ adv./prep.)www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/ame…
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