adjective |
1. Of, relating to, or involving the laity: a lay preacher. |
2. Not of or belonging to a particular profession; nonprofessional: a lay opinion as to the seriousness of the disease. |
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idiom |
1. lay down the law To assert positively and often arrogantly. |
2. lay it on thick Informal To exaggerate; overstate. |
3. lay it on thick Informal To flatter effusively. |
4. lay of the land The nature, arrangement, or disposition of something. |
5. lay rubber Slang To accelerate a motor vehicle suddenly from a halt to a high speed, thereby spinning the wheels and depositing on the road a thin film of burned rubber from the rear tire or tires. |
6. lay waste To ravage: Rebel troops laid waste the town. |
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noun |
1. The direction the strands of a rope or cable are twisted in: a left lay. |
2. The amount of such twist. |
3. The state of one that lays eggs: a hen coming into lay. |
4. Vulgar Slang Sexual intercourse. |
5. Vulgar Slang A partner in sexual intercourse. |
6. A narrative poem, such as one sung by medieval minstrels; a ballad. |
7. A song; a tune. |
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phrasal-verb |
1. lay about To strike blows on all sides. |
2. lay aside To give up; abandon: lay aside all hope of rescue. |
3. lay aside To save for the future. |
4. lay away To reserve for the future; save. |
5. lay away To put aside and hold for future delivery. |
6. lay by To save for future use. |
7. lay by Nautical To remain stationary while heading into the wind. |
8. lay down To give up and surrender: laid down their arms. |
9. lay down To specify: laid down the rules. |
10. lay down To store for the future. |
11. lay down Nonstandard To lie down. |
12. lay for Informal To be waiting to attack: Muggers lay for the unsuspecting pedestrian in the dark alley. |
13. lay in To store for future use: lay in supplies for an Arctic winter. |
14. lay into Slang To scold sharply. |
15. lay into Slang To attack physically; beat up. |
16. lay off To terminate the employment of (a worker), especially temporarily. |
17. lay off To mark off: lay off an area for a garden. |
18. lay off Slang To stop doing something; quit. |
19. lay off Games To place all or a part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie in order to reduce the risk. |
20. lay on To apply (something) by or as if by spreading onto a flat surface: laid on a thick Southern accent. |
21. lay on To prepare, usually in an elaborate fashion; arrange: laid on cocktails for 50 at the last minute. |
22. lay on Slang To present or reveal to; confront with: "went around talking to people about anything until he could lay his standard question on them” ( John Vinocur). |
23. lay out To make a detailed plan for. |
24. lay out To clothe and prepare (a corpse) for burial. |
25. lay out To rebuke harshly: She laid me out for breaking the vase. |
26. lay out To knock to the ground or unconscious. |
27. lay out To expend; spend: lay out a fortune on jewelry. |
28. lay out To display: lay out merchandise; lay the merchandise out. |
29. lay over To make a stopover in the course of a journey. |
30. lay to Nautical To bring (a ship) to a stop in open water. |
31. lay to Nautical To remain stationary while heading into the wind. |
32. lay up To stock for future use: lay up supplies for a long journey. |
33. lay up Informal To confine with an illness or injury: was laid up for a month. |
34. lay up Nautical To put (a ship) in dock, as for repairs. |
35. lay up Sports To hit a golf shot less far than one is able so as to avoid a hazard. |
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verb |
1. Past tense of lie1. |
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verb-intransitive |
1. To produce and deposit eggs. |
2. To bet; wager. |
3. Nonstandard To lie. |
4. To engage energetically in an action. |
5. Nautical To put oneself into the position indicated. |
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verb-transitive |
1. To cause to lie down: lay a child in its crib. |
2. To place in or bring to a particular position: lay the cloth over the painting. |
3. To bury. |
4. To cause to be in a particular condition: The remark laid him open to criticism. |
5. To put or set down: lay new railroad track. |
6. To produce and deposit: lay eggs. |
7. To put up to or against: lay an ear to the door. |
8. To put forward as a reproach or an accusation: They laid the blame on us. |
9. To put or set in order or readiness for use: lay the table for lunch. |
10. To devise; contrive: lay plans. |
11. To spread over a surface: lay paint on a canvas. |
12. To place or give (importance): lay stress on clarity of expression. |
13. To impose as a burden or punishment: lay a penalty upon the offender. |
14. To present for examination: lay a case before a committee. |
15. To put forward as a demand or an assertion: laid claim to the estate. |
16. Games To place (a bet); wager. |
17. To aim (a gun or cannon). |
18. To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope. |
19. To make in this manner: lay up cable. |
20. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with. |
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