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
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"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
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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
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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
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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.
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The subject from which the book just mentioned derived its title lay near to his heart.
Complete Essays Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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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
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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
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'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
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-- 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
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"They represent an important part of what we call lay spirituality," Malcheski said.
News 2009
fbharjo commented on the word lay
lay - lea - leed: land left fallow
March 26, 2009