lay (root: lie)

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• COUNT in NET: 83 in 80 verses (in OT : 59 in 57 verses) (in NT : 24 in 23 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

lay, imp. 

 of Lie, to recline.  [1913 Webster]

lay, a. [F. lai, L. laicus, Gr. of or from the people, lay, from , , people. Cf. Laic.].

•  Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.  [1913 Webster]
•  Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.  [1913 Webster]
•  Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease.  [1913 Webster]

Lay baptism (Eccl.), baptism administered by a lay person. F. G. Lee. -- Lay brother (R. C. Ch.), one received into a convent of monks under the three vows, but not in holy orders. -- Lay clerk (Eccl.), a layman who leads the responses of the congregation, etc., in the church service. Hook. -- Lay days (Com.), time allowed in a charter party for taking in and discharging cargo. McElrath. -- Lay elder. See 2d Elder, 3, note.

lay, n. 

 The laity; the common people.  [1913 Webster]
"The learned have no more privilege than the lay."  [1913 Webster]

lay, n. 

 A meadow. See Lea.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

lay, n. [OF. lei faith, law, F. loi law. See Legal.].

•  Faith; creed; religious profession.  [1913 Webster]

  "Of the sect to which that he was born
  He kept his lay, to which that he was sworn."  [1913 Webster]
•  A law.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]
•  An obligation; a vow.  [1913 Webster]

  "They bound themselves by a sacred lay and oath."  [1913 Webster]

lay, a. [OF. lai, lais, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. laoi, laoidh, song, poem, OIr. laoidh poem, verse; but cf. also AS. lāc play, sport, G. leich a sort of poem (cf. Lake to sport). .].

•  A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad.  Spenser. Sir W. Scott.  [1913 Webster]
•  A melody; any musical utterance.  [1913 Webster]

  "The throstle cock made eke his lay."  [1913 Webster]

lay, v. t. [OE. leggen, AS. lecgan, causative, fr. licgan to lie; akin to D. leggen, G. legen, Icel. leggja, Goth. lagjan. See Lie to be prostrate.].

•  To cause to lie down, to be prostrate, or to lie against something; to put or set down; to deposit; as, to lay a book on the table; to lay a body in the grave; a shower lays the dust.  [1913 Webster]

  "A stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den."  [1913 Webster]

  "Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid."  [1913 Webster]
•  To place in position; to establish firmly; to arrange with regularity; to dispose in ranks or tiers; as, to lay a corner stone; to lay bricks in a wall; to lay the covers on a table.  [1913 Webster]
•  To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan.  [1913 Webster]
•  To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit.  [1913 Webster]

  "After a tempest when the winds are laid."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to lie dead or dying.  [1913 Webster]

  "Brave Cæneus laid Ortygius on the plain,
  The victor Cæneus was by Turnus slain."  [1913 Webster]
•  To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk.  [1913 Webster]

  "I dare lay mine honor
  He will remain so."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs.  [1913 Webster]
•  To apply; to put.  [1913 Webster]

  "She layeth her hands to the spindle."  [1913 Webster]
•  To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."  [1913 Webster]
•  To impute; to charge; to allege.  [1913 Webster]

  "God layeth not folly to them."  [1913 Webster]

  "Lay the fault on us."  [1913 Webster]
•  To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one.  [1913 Webster]
•  To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one.  [1913 Webster]
•  To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue.  Bouvier.  [1913 Webster]
•  To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun.  [1913 Webster]
•  To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them; as, to lay a cable or rope.  [1913 Webster]
•  To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.  [1913 Webster]

  "And laid those proud roofs bare to summer's rain."

  "Let brave spirits . . . not be laid by."

  "No selfish man will be concerned to lay out himself for the good of his country."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- See Put, v. t., and the Note under 4th Lie.

lay, v. i. 

•  To produce and deposit eggs.  [1913 Webster]
•  To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay forward; to lay aloft.  [1913 Webster]
•  To lay a wager; to bet.  [1913 Webster]

To lay about, or To lay about one, to strike vigorously in all directions. J. H. Newman. -- To lay at, to strike or strike at. Spenser. -- To lay for, to prepare to capture or assault; to lay wait for. [Colloq.] Bp Hall. -- To lay in for, to make overtures for; to engage or secure the possession of. [Obs.] “I have laid in for these.” Dryden. -- To lay on, to strike; to beat; to attack. Shak. -- To lay out, to purpose; to plan; as, he lays out to make a journey.

lay, n. 

•  That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood.  Addison.  [1913 Webster]

  " The lay of a rope is right-handed or left-handed according to the hemp or strands are laid up. See Lay, v. t., 16. The lay of land is its topographical situation, esp. its slope and its surface features."  [1913 Webster]

  "A viol should have a lay of wire strings below."  [1913 Webster]
•  A wager.  [1913 Webster]
•  A job, price, or profit.  [1913 Webster]
•  A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st Lea (a).  [1913 Webster]
•  A plan; a scheme.  Dickens.  [1913 Webster]

Lay figure. (a) A jointed model of the human body that may be put in any attitude; -- used for showing the disposition of drapery, etc. (b) A mere puppet; one who serves the will of others without independent volition. -- Lay race, that part of a lay on which the shuttle travels in weaving; -- called also shuttle race. -- the lay of the land, the general situation or state of affairs. -- to get the lay of the land, to learn the general situation or state of affairs, especially in preparation for action.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

lay, v. & n.
--v. (past and past part. laid)
1 tr. place on a surface, esp. horizontally or in the proper or specified place.
2 tr. put or bring into a certain or the required position or state (laid his hand on her arm; lay a carpet).
3 intr. dial. or erron. lie.

Idiom

in lay (of a hen) laying eggs regularly. laid-back colloq. relaxed, unbothered, easygoing. laid paper paper with the surface marked in fine ribs. laid up confined to bed or the house. lay about one
1 hit out on all sides.
2 criticize indiscriminately.
lay aside
1 put to one side.
2 cease to practise or consider.
3 save (money etc.) for future needs. lay at the door of see DOOR. lay back cause to slope back from the vertical. lay bare expose, reveal. lay a charge make an accusation. lay claim to claim as one's own.
lay down
1 put on the ground.
2 relinquish; give up (an office).
3 formulate (a rule or principle).
4 pay or wager (money).
5 begin to construct (a ship or railway).
6 store (wine) in a cellar.
7 set down on paper.
8 sacrifice (one's life).
9 convert (land) into pasture.
10 record (esp. popular music). lay down the law see LAW. lay one's hands on obtain, acquire, locate.
lay hands on
1 seize or attack.
2 place one's hands on or over, esp. in confirmation, ordination, or spiritual healing. lay hold of seize or grasp. lay in provide oneself with a stock of. lay into colloq. punish or scold heavily. lay it on thick (or with a trowel) colloq. flatter or exaggerate grossly. lay low overthrow, kill, or humble.
lay off
1 discharge (workers) temporarily because of a shortage of work.
2 colloq. desist.
lay-off n.
1 a temporary discharge of workers.
2 a period when this is in force.
lay on
1 provide (a facility, amenity, etc.).
2 impose (a penalty, obligation, etc.).
3 inflict (blows).
4 spread on (paint etc.). lay on the table see TABLE. lay open 1 break the skin of.
2 (foll. by to) expose (to criticism etc.).
lay out
1 spread out.
2 expose to view.
3 prepare (a corpse) for burial.
4 colloq. knock unconscious.
5 dispose (grounds etc.) according to a plan.
6 expend (money).
7 refl. (foll. by to + infin.) take pains (to do something) (laid themselves out to help). lay store by see STORE. lay to rest bury in a grave.
lay up
1 store, save.
2 put (a ship etc.) out of service. lay waste see WASTE.

Usage

This use, incorrect in standard English, is probably partly encouraged by confusion with lay as the past of lie, as in the dog lay on the floor which is correct; the dog is laying on the floor is not correct.
4 tr. make by laying (lay the foundations).
5 tr. (often absol.) (of a hen bird) produce (an egg).
6 tr. a cause to subside or lie flat. b deal with to remove (a ghost, fear, etc.).
7 tr. place or present for consideration (a case, proposal, etc.).
8 tr. set down as a basis or starting-point.
9 tr. (usu. foll. by on) attribute or impute (blame etc.).
10 tr. locate (a scene etc.) in a certain place.
11 tr. prepare or make ready (a plan or a trap).
12 tr. prepare (a table) for a meal.
13 tr. place or arrange the material for (a fire).
14 tr. put down as a wager; stake.
15 tr. (foll. by with) coat or strew (a surface).
16 tr. sl. offens. have sexual intercourse with (esp. a woman).
--n.
1 the way, position, or direction in which something lies.
2 sl. offens. a partner (esp. female) in sexual intercourse.
3 the direction or amount of twist in rope-strands.

lay, adj.
1 a non-clerical. b not ordained into the clergy.
2 a not professionally qualified, esp. in law or medicine. b of or done by such persons.

Idiom

lay brother (or sister) a person who has taken the vows of a religious order but is not ordained and is employed in ancillary or manual work. lay reader a lay person licensed to conduct some religious services.

lay, n.
1 a short lyric or narrative poem meant to be sung.
2 a song.

lay, past of LIE.

THESAURUS

lay

Brautlied, Christmas carol, Kunstlied, Liebeslied, Volkslied, abate, accredit, address, advance, aim, air, alba, align, allay, allege, alleviate, anesthetize, ante, ante up, anthem, appease, aria, art song, aspect, assign, assuage, attemper, attitude, attribute, aubade, azimuth, back, ball, ballad, ballade, ballata, bank the fire, barcarole, be intimate, bearing, bearings, bent, benumb, bet, bet on, blues, blues song, blunt, board, boat song, boom, bridal hymn, brindisi, burden with, call, calm, calypso, canso, canticle, canto, cantus, canzone, canzonet, canzonetta, carol, cast, cast loose, cast out devils, cavatina, celestial navigation, chanson, chant, chantey, charge, chasten, cite, civil, clap on ratlines, clear hawse, cohabit, come together, commit adultery, conciliate, congregational, constrain, control, cool, copulate, couple, course, cover, crawl, credit, croon, croon song, current, cushion, cut loose, dab, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, dead reckoning, deaden, deaden the pain, defuse, demand, deposit, descant, diapason, diddle, diminish, direction, direction line, dirge, ditty, downplay, drag, dress, drift, drinking song, drop, dub, dulcify, dull, ease, ease matters, enjoin, epithalamium, equalize, establish, even, exact, exorcise, exposure, extenuate, fade, fasten upon, fell, fix, flatten, flush, folk song, foment, fornicate, freight with, frig, frontage, gamble, game, give relief, grade, grease, grovel, harrow, haul, haul down, have sex, have sexual relations, hazard, heading, heave, heave apeak, heave round, heave short, helmsmanship, hymeneal, hymn, impose, impose on, impose upon, impute, inclination, incline, inflict on, inflict upon, kedge, keep within bounds, laic, laical, lay a wager, lay aloft, lay down, lay flat, lay ghosts, lay level, lay low, lay on, lay out, lay the dust, lenify, lessen, level, levy, lie, lie down, lie flat, lie limply, lie prone, lie prostrate, lie with, lied, lighten, lilt, line, line of direction, line of march, line of position, lodge, log, loll, lounge, love song, love-lilt, lubricate, lull, make a bet, make it with, make love, make out, mate, matin, measure, meet a bet, melodia, melodic line, melody, minstrel song, minstrelsy, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, mount, mow, national anthem, navigation, nonclerical, nonecclesiastical, nonministerial, nonordained, nonpastoral, nonreligious, note, numb, obtund, offer, oil, orientation, pacify, pad, palliate, park, parlay, pass, pilotage, piloting, placate, place, plane, planish, plaster, play, play against, play down, plunge, point, pose, posit, position, position line, post, poultice, pour balm into, pour balm on, pour oil on, present, propitiate, prothalamium, punt, put, put down, put on, put upon, quarter, radio bearing, range, rase, ratline down, raze, recline, reduce, reduce the temperature, refer, refrain, relieve, repose, reposit, rest, restrain, roll, roll flat, run, saddle with, salve, screw, seat, secular, secularist, secularistic, see, serena, serenade, serenata, serve, service, set, set down, settle, shave, slacken, slake, sleep with, slow down, smooth, smooth down, smooth out, smooth over, smoothen, smother, sober, sober down, soften, solo, solo part, song, soothe, soprano part, spar down, spawn, sprawl, spread, stake, stand pat, station, steamroll, steamroller, steerage, steering, stick, stifle, strain, stream the log, stupe, subdue, subject to, submit, suppress, tame, task, tax, temper, temporal, tendency, tenor, theme song, tone down, torch song, track, train, tranquilize, traverse a yard, treble, trend, tune, tune down, turn, underplay, unlash, unsacred, unspell, wager, war song, warble, warp, way, weaken, wedding song, weight down with, yoke with

ROGET THESAURUS

lay

Poetry

N poetry, poetics, poesy, Muse, Calliope, tuneful Nine, Parnassus, Helicon, Pierides, Pierian spring, versification, rhyming, making verses, prosody, orthometry, poem, epic, epic poem, epopee, epopoea, ode, epode, idyl, lyric, eclogue, pastoral, bucolic, dithyramb, anacreontic, sonnet, roundelay, rondeau, rondo, madrigal, canzonet, cento, monody, elegy, amoebaeum, ghazal, palinode, dramatic poetry, lyric poetry, opera, posy, anthology, disjecta membra poetae song, ballad, lay, love song, drinking song, war song, sea song, lullaby, music, nursery rhymes, doggerel, Hudibrastic verse, prose run mad, macaronics, macaronic verse, leonine verse, runes, canto, stanza, distich, verse, line, couplet, triplet, quatrain, strophe, antistrophe, verse, rhyme, assonance, crambo, meter, measure, foot, numbers, strain, rhythm, accentuation, dactyl, spondee, trochee, anapest, hexameter, pentameter, Alexandrine, anacrusis, antispast, blank verse, ictus, elegiacs, elegiac verse, elegaic meter, elegaic poetry, poet, poet laureate, laureate, bard, lyrist, scald, skald, troubadour, trouvere, minstrel, minnesinger, meistersinger, improvisatore, versifier, sonneteer, rhymer, rhymist, rhymester, ballad monger, runer, poetaster, genus irritabile vatum, poetic, poetical, lyric, lyrical, tuneful, epic, dithyrambic, metrical, a catalectin, elegiac, iambic, trochaic, anapestic, amoebaeic, Melibean, skaldic, Ionic, Sapphic, Alcaic, Pindaric, a poem round and perfect as a star, Dichtung und Wahrheit, furor poeticus, his virtues formed the magic of his song, I do but sing because I must, I learnt life from the poets, licentia vatum, mutum est pictura poema, O for a muse of fire!, sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge, the true poem is the poet's mind, Volk der Dichter und Denker, wisdom married to immortal verse.

Chance

VB chance, stand a chance, toss up, cast lots, draw lots, leave to chance, trust to chance, leave to the chapter of accidents, trust to the chapter of accidents, tempt fortune, chance it, take one's chance, take a shot at it (attempt), run the risk, run the chance, incur the risk, incur the chance, encounter the risk, encounter the chance, stand the hazard of the die, speculate, try one's luck, set on a cast, raffle, put into a lottery, buy a pig in a poke, shuffle the cards, risk, venture, hazard, stake, ante, lay, lay a wager, make a bet, wager, bet, gamble, game, play for, play at chuck farthing, chance, hap, turn up, fall to one's lot, be one's fate, stumble on light upon, take one's chance.

Hindrance

VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.

Production

VB produce, perform, operate, do, make, gar, form, construct, fabricate, frame, contrive, manufacture, weave, forge, coin, carve, chisel, build, raise, edify, rear, erect, put together, set up, run up, establish, constitute, compose, organize, institute, achieve, accomplish, flower, bear fruit, fructify, teem, ean, yean, farrow, drop, pup, kitten, kindle, bear, lay, whelp, bring forth, give birth to, lie in, be brought to bed of, evolve, pullulate, usher into the world, make productive, create, beget, get, generate, fecundate, impregnate, procreate, progenerate, propagate, engender, bring into being, call into being, bring into existence, breed, hatch, develop, bring up, induce, superinduce, suscitate, cause, acquire.

Moderation

VB be moderate, keep within bounds, keep within compass, sober down, settle down, keep the peace, remit, relent, take in sail, moderate, soften, mitigate, temper, accoy, attemper, contemper, mollify, lenify, dulcify, dull, take off the edge, blunt, obtund, sheathe, subdue, chasten, sober down, tone down, smooth down, weaken, lessen, check palliate, tranquilize, pacify, assuage, appease, swag, lull, soothe, compose, still, calm, calm down, cool, quiet, hush, quell, sober, pacify, tame, damp, lay, allay, rebate, slacken, smooth, alleviate, rock to sleep, deaden, smooth, throw cold water on, throw a wet blanket over, turn off, slake, curb, tame, smooth over, pour oil on the waves, pour oil on the troubled waters, pour balm into, mattre de l'eau dans son vin, go out like a lamb, roar you as gently as any sucking dove.

Location

VB place, situate, locate, localize, make a place for, put, lay, set, seat, station, lodge, quarter, post, install, house, stow, establish, fix, pin, root, graft, plant, shelve, pitch, camp, lay down, deposit, reposit, cradle, moor, tether, picket, pack, tuck in, embed, imbed, vest, invest in, billet on, quarter upon, saddle with, load, lade, freight, pocket, put up, bag, inhabit, domesticate, colonize, take root, strike root, anchor, cast anchor, come to an anchor, sit down, settle down, settle, take up one's abode, take up one's quarters, plant oneself, establish oneself, locate oneself, squat, perch, hive, se nicher, bivouac, burrow, get a footing, encamp, pitch one's tent, put up at, put up one's horses at, keep house, endenizen, naturalize, adopt, put back, replace.

Laity

N laity, flock, fold, congregation, assembly, brethren, people, society, temporality, secularization, layman, civilian, parishioner, catechumen, secularist, secular, lay, laical, civil, temporal, profane.

Plain

N plain, table-land, face of the country, open country, champaign country, basin, downs, waste, weary waste, desert, wild, steppe, pampas, savanna, prairie, heath, common, wold, veldt, moor, moorland, bush, plateau, campagna, alkali flat, llano, mesa, mesilla, playa, shaking prairie, trembling prairie, vega, meadow, mead, haugh, pasturage, park, field, lawn, green, plat, plot, grassplat, greensward, sward, turf, sod, heather, lea, ley, lay, grounds, maidan, agostadero, champaign, alluvial, campestral, campestrial, campestrian, campestrine.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.