Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or involving the laity.
  • adjective Not of or belonging to a particular profession; nonprofessional.
  • intransitive verb To cause to lie down.
  • intransitive verb To place in or bring to a particular position.
  • intransitive verb To bury.
  • intransitive verb To cause to be in a particular condition.
  • intransitive verb To put or set down.
  • intransitive verb To produce and deposit.
  • intransitive verb To cause to subside; calm or allay.
  • intransitive verb To put up to or against something.
  • intransitive verb To put forward as a reproach or an accusation.
  • intransitive verb To put or set in order or readiness for use.
  • intransitive verb To devise; contrive.
  • intransitive verb To spread over a surface.
  • intransitive verb To place or give (importance).
  • intransitive verb To impose as a burden or punishment.
  • intransitive verb To present for examination.
  • intransitive verb To put forward as a demand or an assertion.
  • intransitive verb Games To place (a bet); wager.
  • intransitive verb To aim (a gun or cannon).
  • intransitive verb To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope.
  • intransitive verb To make in this manner.
  • intransitive verb Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with.
  • intransitive verb To produce and deposit eggs.
  • intransitive verb To bet; wager.
  • intransitive verb Nonstandard To lie.
  • intransitive verb Nautical To put oneself into the position indicated.
  • noun The direction the strands of a rope or cable are twisted in.
  • noun The amount of such twist.
  • noun The state of one that lays eggs.
  • noun Sexual intercourse.
  • noun A partner in sexual intercourse.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French lai, from Late Latin lāicus, from Greek lāikos, of the people, from lāos, the people.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English leien, from Old English lecgan; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French lai.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French lai

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English laie, lawe, from Old English lagu ("sea, flood, water, ocean"), from Proto-Germanic *laguz (“water, sea”), from Proto-Indo-European *lakw- (“water, body of water, lake”). Cognate with Icelandic lögur ("liquid, fluid, lake"), Latin lacus ("lake, hollow, hole").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English layen, leggen, from Old English lecgan ("to lay"), from Proto-Germanic *lagjanan (“to lay”), causative form of Proto-Germanic *ligjanan, *legjanan (“to lie, recline”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie, recline”). Cognate with Dutch leggen ("to lay"), German legen ("to lay"), Swedish lägga ("to lay"), Icelandic leggja ("to lay"), Albanian lag ("troop, band, war encampment").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English lay, from Old French lai ("song, lyric, poem"), from Frankish *laik, *laih ("play, melody, song"), from Proto-Germanic *laikaz, *laikiz (“jump, play, dance, hymn”), from Proto-Indo-European *loig-, *(e)laiǵ- (“to jump, spring, play”). Akin to Old High German leih ("a play, skit, melody, song"), Middle High German leich ("piece of music, epic song played on a harp"), Old English lācan ("to move quickly, fence, sing"). See lake.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the verb.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word lay.

Examples

  • "Now lay on to his back," sternly vociferated the commander -- "give it to him -- _hard_ -- _lay on harder_."

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • One of those ladies died without children, by which means the title lay between the families of Rolle and

    The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 1 Horace Walpole 1757

  • May 23d, 1752, aged thirty-five; and his Lady being then with child, the title lay dormant till she was de - livered of Thomas-James, now seventh Viscount Bulkeley, of Ireland,

    Collins's peerage of England; genealogical, biographical, and historical 1812

  • And the amazing thing in Iraq, as a part of a broader strategy to help what I call lay the foundation of peace: democracies don't war; democracies are peaceful countries.

    CNN Transcript Dec 19, 2005 2005

  • The subject from which the book just mentioned derived its title lay near to his heart.

    Complete Essays Charles Dudley Warner 1864

  • The subject from which the book just mentioned derived its title lay near to his heart.

    The Relation of Literature to Life Charles Dudley Warner 1864

  • The subject from which the book just mentioned derived its title lay near to his heart.

    The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864

  • 'Why, you see, Master Lancelot, as how this is what they calls a lay rectory, as goes like a landed estate from father to son, without there being any call for 'em to be clergy; and the Vicar, he is just put in to do Passon's work, only he gets his situation for life, like

    The Pillars of the House, V1 Charlotte Mary Yonge 1862

  • -- She then rung a bell, and ordered an attending nun, or what they call a lay-sister, to call some of the sisterhood, whose names she mentioned; and presently came two nuns, with a third lady in

    Life's Progress Through The Passions Or, The Adventures of Natura Eliza Fowler Haywood 1724

  • "They represent an important part of what we call lay spirituality," Malcheski said.

    News 2009

  • This style of photography, objects shot from above, is known as the “flat lay”.

    What Is Lifestyle? Daisy Alioto 2023

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • lay - lea - leed: land left fallow

    March 26, 2009