lay

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position.
2. (archaic, transitive) To cause to subside or abate.
3. (transitive) To prepare (a plan, project etc.); to set out, establish (a law, principle).
4. (transitive) To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another.
5. (transitive) To produce and deposit (an egg or eggs).
6. (transitive) To bet (that something is or is not the case).
7. (transitive) To deposit (a stake) as a wager; to stake; to risk.
8. (slang, transitive) To have sex with.
9. (transitive) To state; to allege.
10. (transitive) To point; to aim.
11. (transitive) To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them.
12. (transitive) To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
13. (transitive) To place (new type) properly in the cases.
14. (transitive) To apply; to put.
15. (transitive) To impose (a burden, punishment, command, tax, etc.).
16. (transitive) To impute; to charge; to allege.
17. (transitive) To present or offer.
18. (intransitive) To produce and deposit an egg or eggs.
19. (intransitive) To subside or abate.
20. (intransitive) To take a position; to come or go.
21. (intransitive, proscribed) To lie: to rest in a horizontal position on a surface.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Arrangement or relationship; layout.
2. (countable, uncountable) A share of the profits in a business.
3. (countable, uncountable) The direction a rope is twisted.
4. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) A casual sexual partner.
5. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) An act of sexual intercourse.
6. (archaic, countable, slang, uncountable) A place or activity where someone spends a significant portion of their time.
7. (countable, uncountable) The laying of eggs.
8. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A layer.
9. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A basis or ground.
10. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A pursuit or practice; a dodge.

Noun

A lake.

Adj

1. Not belonging to the clergy, but associated with them.
2. Non-professional; not being a member of an organized institution.
3. Not trumps.
4. (obsolete) Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.

Noun

1. A ballad or sung poem; a short poem or narrative, usually intended to be sung.
2. A lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.

Noun

A meadow; a lea.

Noun

1. (obsolete) A law.
2. (obsolete) An obligation; a vow.

lie

• Verb
• Noun
• Noun

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Synonyms

put

place

set

lay down

put down

secular

install

deposit

ballad

position

locate

spread

arrange

set down

plant

🌱

laic

situate

pose

pave

lie

apply

repose

make

set up

seat

💺

rest

cover

station

🚉

bring forth

produce

assign

bet

unfold

stick

impose

song

🎶

put to bed

establish

put in

put away

put off

build

construct

put on

nonprofessional

amateur

beget

lodge

lie down

lay aside

Translations

poser

legen

poner

mettre

pondre

leggen

pôr

mettere

coucher

posare

stellen

acostar

setzen

colocar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/leɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: leyen

Inherited from Old English: leċġan

Cognate with Western Frisian: lizze

Cognate with Dutch: leggen

Cognate with German: legen

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: legge

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: leggja

Cognate with Swedish: lägga

Cognate with Icelandic: leggja

Cognate with Albanian: lag

Inherited from Middle English: laie

Inherited from Old English: lagu

Cognate with Icelandic: lögur

Cognate with Latin: lacus

Inherited from Middle English: lay

Cognate with Old High German: leih

Cognate with Middle High German: leich

Cognate with Old English: lācan

In summary

Inherited from Middle English leyen, leggen, from Old English leċġan (“to lay”), from Proto-West Germanic *laggjan, from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną (“to lay”), causative form of Proto-Germanic *ligjaną (“to lie, recline”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie, recline”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian lääse (“to lay; to lie”), West Frisian lizze (“to lay, to lie”), Cimbrian leng (“to lay”), Dutch leggen (“to lay”), German legen (“to lay”), Limburgish lègke (“to lay”), Luxembourgish leeën (“to lay”), Yiddish לייגן (leygn, “to lay”), Danish lægge (“to lay”), Faroese, Icelandic leggja (“to lay”), Norwegian Bokmål legge (“to lay”), Norwegian Nynorsk legga, legge, leggja, leggje (“to lay”), Swedish lägga (“to lay”), Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (lagjan, “to lay”), Old French laier, laiier, laire (“to leave”), Albanian lag (“troop, band, war encampment”).

Sentences

He had seen the shooting star and was persuaded that a meteorite lay somewhere nearby .

He was a devoted lay Methodist for nine years .