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 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 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 the verb.

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.

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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

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  • lay - lea - leed: land left fallow

    March 26, 2009