lay
IPA: ɫˈeɪ
noun
- Arrangement or relationship; layout.
- A share of the profits in a business.
- The direction a rope is twisted.
- (colloquial) A casual sexual partner.
- (colloquial) An act of sexual intercourse.
- (slang, archaic) A place or activity where someone spends a significant portion of their time.
- The laying of eggs.
- (obsolete) A layer.
- (obsolete) A basis or ground.
- A lake.
- A ballad or sung poem; a short poem or narrative, usually intended to be sung.
- A lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.
- (obsolete) A meadow; a lea.
- (obsolete) A law.
- (obsolete) An obligation; a vow.
- A river in western France.
- A surname.
verb
- (transitive)
- To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position.
- (archaic) To cause to subside or abate.
- To prepare (a plan, project etc.); to set out, establish (a law, principle).
- To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another.
- To produce and deposit an egg.
- To bet (that something is or is not the case).
- To deposit (a stake) as a wager; to stake; to risk.
- (slang) To have sex with.
- (law) To state; to allege.
- (military) To point; to aim.
- (ropemaking) To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them.
- (printing) To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
- (printing) To place (new type) properly in the cases.
- To apply; to put.
- To impose (a burden, punishment, command, tax, etc.).
- To impute; to charge; to allege.
- To present or offer.
- (intransitive)
- (nautical) To take a position; to come or go.
- (proscribed, see usage notes) To lie: to rest in a horizontal position on a surface.
- (Judaism, transitive) To don or put on (tefillin (phylacteries)).
adjective
- Not belonging to the clergy, but associated with them.
- Non-professional; not being a member of an organized institution.
- (card games) Not trumps.
- (obsolete) Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.
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Examples of "lay" in Sentences
- The female bird lay eggs.
- The adults lay eggs in the lungs.
- Therein lays the crux of the problem.
- The real problem lay in compatibility.
- That way lays confusion and disharmony.
- The church lay to the east of the tower.
- The laying of the cornerstone was in May 1994.
- Put on your politest demeanor and just lay the facts on the line.
- Reptiles lay eggs on land whereas amphibia lay their eggs in water.
- We feel mohair has gone as far as it can and it is time to lay it to rest.
- "They represent an important part of what we call lay spirituality," Malcheski said.
- The subject from which the book just mentioned derived its title lay near to his heart.
- One of those ladies died without children, by which means the title lay between the families of Rolle and
- "Now lay on to his back," sternly vociferated the commander -- "give it to him -- _hard_ -- _lay on harder_."
- 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.
- 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,
- -- 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
- '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