lay on

lay¹ (l

)

v. laid (l

d), lay·ing, lays

v.tr.

1. To cause to lie down: lay a child in its crib.

a. To place in or bring to a particular position: lay the cloth over the painting.

b. To bury.

3. To cause to be in a particular condition: The remark laid him open to criticism.

4. To put or set down: lay new railroad track.

5. To produce and deposit: lay eggs.

6. To cause to subside; calm or allay: "chas'd the clouds ... and laid the winds" (John Milton).

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.

a. To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope.

b. To make in this manner: lay up cable.

19. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with.

v.intr.

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.

a. The direction the strands of a rope or cable are twisted in: a left lay.

b. The amount of such twist.

2. The state of one that lays eggs: a hen coming into lay.

3. Vulgar Slang

a. Sexual intercourse.

b. A partner in sexual intercourse.

Phrasal Verbs:

lay about

To strike blows on all sides.

lay aside

1. To give up; abandon: lay aside all hope of rescue.

2. To save for the future.

lay away

1. To reserve for the future; save.

2. To put aside and hold for future delivery.

lay by

1. To save for future use.

2. Nautical To remain stationary while heading into the wind.

lay down

1. To give up and surrender: laid down their arms.

2. To specify: laid down the rules.

3. To store for the future.

4. Nonstandard To lie down.

lay for Informal

To be waiting to attack: Muggers lay for the unsuspecting pedestrian in the dark alley.

lay in

To store for future use: lay in supplies for an Arctic winter.

lay into Slang

1. To scold sharply.

2. To attack physically; beat up.

lay off

1. To terminate the employment of (a worker), especially temporarily.

2. To mark off: lay off an area for a garden.

3. Slang To stop doing something; quit.

4. Games To place all or a part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie in order to reduce the risk.

lay on

1. To apply (something) by or as if by spreading onto a flat surface: laid on a thick Southern accent.

2. To prepare, usually in an elaborate fashion; arrange: laid on cocktails for 50 at the last minute.

3. 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).

lay out

1. To make a detailed plan for.

2. To clothe and prepare (a corpse) for burial.

3. To rebuke harshly: She laid me out for breaking the vase.

4. To knock to the ground or unconscious.

5. To expend; spend: lay out a fortune on jewelry.

6. To display: lay out merchandise; lay the merchandise out.

lay over

To make a stopover in the course of a journey.

lay to Nautical

1. To bring (a ship) to a stop in open water.

2. To remain stationary while heading into the wind.

lay up

1. To stock for future use: lay up supplies for a long journey.

2. Informal To confine with an illness or injury: was laid up for a month.

3. Nautical To put (a ship) in dock, as for repairs.

4. Sports To hit a golf shot less far than one is able so as to avoid a hazard.

Idioms:

lay down the law

To assert positively and often arrogantly.

lay it on thick Informal

1. To exaggerate; overstate.

2. To flatter effusively.

lay of the land

The nature, arrangement, or disposition of something.

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.

lay waste

To ravage: Rebel troops laid waste the town.

[Middle English leien, from Old English lecgan; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: Lay ("to put, place, or prepare") and lie ("to recline or be situated") have been confused for centuries; evidence exists that lay has been used to mean "lie" since the 1300s. Why? First, there are two lays. One is the base form of the verb lay, and the other is the past tense of lie. Second, lay was once used with a reflexive pronoun to mean "lie" and survives in the familiar line from the child's prayer Now I lay me down to sleep; lay me down is easily shortened to lay down. Third, lay down, as in She lay down on the sofa sounds the same as laid down, as in I laid down the law to the kids. · Lay and lie are most easily distinguished by usage. Lay is a transitive verb and takes a direct object. Lay and its principal parts (laid, laying) are correctly used in the following examples: He laid (not lay) the newspaper on the table. The table was laid for four. Lie is an intransitive verb and cannot take an object. Lie and its principal parts (lay, lain, lying) are correctly used in the following examples: She often lies (not lays) down after lunch. When I lay (not laid) down, I fell asleep. The rubbish had lain (not laid) there a week. I was lying (not laying) in bed when he called. · There are a few exceptions to these rules. The phrasal verb lay for and the nautical use of lay, as in lay at anchor, though intransitive, are standard.

lay² (l

)

adj.

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.

[Middle English, from Old French lai, from Late Latin licus, from Greek likos, of the people, from los, the people.]

lay³ (l

)

1. A narrative poem, such as one sung by medieval minstrels; a ballad.

2. A song; a tune.

[Middle English, from Old French lai.]

lay⁴ (l

)

Past tense of lie¹.

lay on

vb (tr, adverb)

1. to provide or supply to lay on entertainment

2. Brit to install to lay on electricity

lay it on Informal

a. to exaggerate, esp when flattering

b. to charge an exorbitant price

c. to punish or strike harshly

Translations

? lay on

vt sep

(= apply) paint → auftragen ? thick

(= prepare, offer) hospitality → bieten (for sb jdm); (= supply) entertainment → sorgen für; excursion → veranstalten; extra buses → einsetzen; water, electricity → anschließen; if you lay on the drinks I’ll get the food → wenn du die Getränke stellst, besorge ich das Essen; she had laid on a lot of food → sie hatte sehr viel zu essen aufgetischt; an extra flight was laid on → eine Sondermaschine wurde eingesetzt or bereitgestellt

(= impose) to lay a tax on something → etw mit einer Steuer belegen, etw besteuern

(esp US inf: = tell off) he laid it on me → er hat mich zur Sau gemacht (inf)

Mentioned in	?		References in classic literature	?		Dictionary browser	?		Full browser	?
fib lay lay about lay aside lay away lay by lay down lay in lay into lay off lay out lay over lay to lay up laying Lie lie down lie in Lies			The man lay on his back in bed, talking brokenly but with spirit, and punctuating with his arms, which he thrashed about, restlessly, as sick people do in de- lirium. A Connecticut Yankee by Twain, Mark View in context Meanwhile one of the carriers who were in the inn thought fit to water his team, and it was necessary to remove Don Quixote's armour as it lay on the trough; but he seeing the other approach hailed him in a loud voice, "O thou, whoever thou art, rash knight that comest to lay hands on the armour of the most valorous errant that ever girt on sword, have a care what thou dost; touch it not unless thou wouldst lay down thy life as the penalty of thy rashness. Don Quixote by Cervantes, Miguel View in context As I lay on my back completely shrouded with verdure, the leafy branches drooping over me, my limbs buried in grass, I could not avoid comparing our situation with that of the interesting babes in the wood. Typee by Melville, Herman View in context			Laxness lay lay about lay an egg lay analyst lay aside lay aside or away lay away lay back Lay baptism lay before lay brother lay by lay claim Lay clerk lay days lay down Lay elder lay eyes on lay figure lay hands on lay in lay into lay leader lay off lay on lay on the line lay out lay over lay person Lay race lay reader lay reference number Lay shaft lay sister lay to lay to rest lay up lay waste to lay witness lay-by lay-off lay-up layabout Layamon Layard layaway layback layby laydeez laydown bombing			Lay Ministers Lay Ministers Lay Ministers lay money down lay money on lay neck on the block lay neck on the block lay neck on the block lay neck on the block lay neck on the block lay odds lay odds lay odds Lay of Havelock the Dane Lay of the Cid lay of the land lay of the land lay of the land lay of the land lay of the land lay off lay off lay off lay off lay off lay off Lay Offs Lay Offs Lay Offs Lay Offs lay on Lay on Hands lay on the line Lay on the table Lay on the table Lay on the table Lay on the table lay on thick lay on thick lay on thick lay on thick lay on with a trowel lay on with a trowel lay on with a trowel lay on with a trowel lay one on lay oneself open to lay open lay open lay open lay open lay open lay open to harm lay open to view lay out lay out lay out lay out lay out lay out lay out a boundary