Lay | Mean of lay in English Dictionary

/ˈleɪ/

• Verb
• to place (someone or something) down gently in a flat position
1. Lay the fabric carefully on the table.
2. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.
3. She laid the baby in his crib for a nap.
4. He says that he never laid a finger/hand on her. [=that he never touched her]
5. He laid the newspaper down on the desk.
6. She laid the baby down for his nap.
• to place (something) into position on or along a surface
1. When will they lay the foundation for the addition?
2. lay tracks for the new railroad
3. lay pipe/cable/lines
4. laying bricks
5. laying down a new road/carpet
6. We are laying the groundwork/foundation [=providing conditions] for additional research.
• to spread (something) over a surface
1. lay plaster/paint
2. lay wallpaper

• a
1. They laid him in his grave.
• to be in a flat position on a surface
1. The book was laying on the table.
• to beat or strike (something) down with force
1. The wheat was laid flat by the wind and rain.
• to change the condition of something in a specified way
1. The mountainside has been laid bare by loggers. [=all the trees on the mountainside have been cut down by loggers]
2. He laid bare his soul. = He laid his soul bare. [=he revealed his most private thoughts and feelings]
3. He laid himself open to criticism [=he exposed himself to criticism] with his remarks.
• to produce (an egg) outside of the body
1. birds that typically lay only two eggs per year
2. old chickens that no longer lay
• to make (something) ready
1. lay a trap
2. lay a fire in the fireplace
3. (Brit) Places were laid (at the table) for three people. [=silverware, glasses, and napkins were put on the table for three people who will be eating there]
4. (Brit) lay [=set] the table for a meal
• to risk losing (money) if your guess about what will happen is wrong
1. lay money on a race
• to have sex with someone
1. All he cares about is getting laid. [=having sex]
• to place (something) to one side
1. She laid aside [=put aside, set aside] the book she had been reading and turned on the TV.
2. Plans for a new school have been laid aside [=put aside, set aside] for now until more money can be raised.
3. It's time for all of us to lay aside old prejudices.
4. We need to lay our differences aside so that we can learn to work together.
• to keep (something) for special or future use
1. She has been able to lay aside [=put aside] a few dollars each week.
• to accuse someone officially of doing something illegal
1. Police are deciding whether to lay charges (against her).
• to clearly state (a rule, standard, guideline, etc.)
1. The company has laid down strict new safety standards.
• to stop using (something)
1. At noon, we laid down the rakes and rested for a while.
2. The strikers laid down their tools.
• to put (a weapon) down and stop fighting
1. The police ordered the criminals to lay down their weapons.
• to give up your life for a good purpose
1. heroes who laid down their lives to preserve our nation
• to make a strong statement about what someone is or is not allowed to do
1. The agreement lays down the law (to everyone) on what the group allows.
2. When she came home after midnight, her father laid down the law: if she came home that late again, she would not be allowed to watch TV for a week.
• to get and store (a supply of something) for future use
1. They laid in [=laid up] canned goods for the winter.
• to angrily attack or criticize (someone or something)
1. The coach really laid into us for playing so carelessly.
• to stop employing (someone) because there is not enough work
1. The company has had to lay off most of the staff.
2. Costs have increased and many workers have been laid off. [=let go]
• to stop doing, using, eating, or drinking (something)
1. You should lay off the late nights. [=you should stop staying up so late]
2. My doctor advised me to lay off caffeine.
3. He's a much nicer person since he laid off the booze. [=since he stopped drinking alcohol]
4. I need to lay off fatty foods and lose some weight.
• to leave someone alone
1. I wish you'd just lay off!
2. Lay off me! [=stop bothering me]
• to provide (something) for someone
1. If a lot of people want to come, more coaches will be laid on for them.
• to speak in a way that is exaggerated and not sincere
1. You should compliment her cooking but don't lay it on too thick or she'll know you don't mean it.
2. He laid it on pretty heavily and pretended to be interested in what she said.
• to place (something) on a surface in a carefully arranged way
1. The wires were laid out along the floor.
2. Brochures were laid out on a table.
3. She was laying out the cheese and crackers for the guests.
• to arrange (something) in a particular pattern or design
1. The garden was laid out in a formal pattern.
2. Much of Manhattan is laid out in the form of a grid.
• to plan the details of (something)
1. She's been hired to lay out [=map out] the election campaign.
2. The work for tomorrow is all laid out.
• to explain the details of (something)
1. He laid out the reasons for his decision.
• to spend (money)
1. The city laid out millions of dollars for the new stadium.
• to prepare (someone's dead body) so that it can be seen by family and friends before it is buried
1. They laid him out in a plain coffin.
• to make (someone) unconscious
1. He laid his opponent out with a hard right to the jaw.
• to make a stop in the middle of a journey
1. Our flight to Italy laid over in Madrid for several hours.
• to cause (someone) to stop in the middle of a journey
1. We were laid over in Madrid for several hours.
• to store (something)
1. lay up [=lay in] grain for the winter
• to take (something) out of active use or service
1. We laid up the boat for the winter.
• to cause (someone) to stay at home or in bed because of illness or injury
1. The flu laid him up for two weeks.
2. He was laid up for six weeks with a bad back.
3. He was laid up by the flu.
• to cause very bad damage to (something)
1. The fire laid waste to the land. [=the fire caused great destruction to the land]
• Noun
• a person who is being described as a sexual partner
1. a great lay
2. an easy lay [=a person who is very willing to have sex]
• not trained in a certain profession
1. a science magazine written for the lay public
2. lay and professional readers
• belonging to a religion but not officially a priest, minister, etc.
1. lay preachers