lay

¹

[ ley ]

verb (used with object)

, laid, lay·ing.

1. to put or place in a horizontal position or position of rest; set down:

   to lay a book on a desk.

   Synonyms: deposit

2. to knock or beat down, as from an erect position; strike or throw to the ground:

   One punch laid him low.

3. to put or place in a particular position:

   The dog laid its ears back.

4. to cause to be in a particular state or condition:

   Their motives were laid bare.

5. to set, place, or apply (often followed by to or on ):

   to lay hands on a child.

6. to dispose or place in proper position or in an orderly fashion:

   to lay bricks.

7. to place on, along, or under a surface:

   to lay a pipeline.

8. to establish as a basis; set up:

   to lay the foundations for further negotiations.

9. to present or submit for notice or consideration:

   I laid my case before the commission.

10. to present, bring forward, or make, as a claim or charge.
11. to impute, attribute, or ascribe:

    to lay blame on the inspector.

12. to bury:

    They laid him in the old churchyard.

13. to bring forth and deposit (an egg or eggs).
14. to impose as a burden, duty, penalty, or the like:

    to lay an embargo on oil shipments.

15. to place dinner service on (a table); set.
16. to place on or over a surface, as paint; cover or spread with something else.
17. to devise or arrange, as a plan.
18. to deposit as a wager; bet:

    He laid $10 on the horse that won the third race.

19. to set (a trap).
20. to place, set, or locate:

    The scene is laid in France.

21. to smooth down or make even:

    to lay the nap of cloth.

22. to cause to subside:

    laying the clouds of dust with a spray of water.

    Synonyms: still, calm, quiet

23. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.
24. to bring (a stick, lash, etc.) down, as on a person, in inflicting punishment.
25. to form by twisting strands together, as a rope.
26. Nautical. to move or turn (a sailing vessel) into a certain position or direction.
27. to aim a cannon in a specified direction at a specified elevation.
28. to put (dogs) on a scent.

verb (used without object)

, laid, lay·ing.

1. to lay eggs.
2. to wager or bet.
3. to apply oneself vigorously.
4. to deal or aim blows vigorously (usually followed by on, at, about, etc.).
5. Nonstandard. lie ².
6. South Midland U.S. to plan or scheme (often followed by out ).
7. Midland and Southern U.S. (of the wind) to diminish; subside:

   When the wind lays, it'll rain.

8. Nautical. to take up a specified position, direction, etc.:

   to lay aloft; to lay close to the wind.

noun

1. the way or position in which a thing is laid or lies:

   the lay of the land.

2. Slang: Vulgar.
   1. a partner in sexual intercourse.
   2. an instance of sexual intercourse.
3. Ropemaking. the quality of a fiber rope characterized by the degree of twist, the angles formed by the strands, and the fibers in the strands.
4. Also called lay-up,. (in the garment industry) multiple layers of fabric upon which a pattern or guide is placed for production-line cutting.
5. Textiles. batten ³( defs 1, 2 ).
6. a share of the profits or the catch of a whaling or fishing voyage, distributed to officers and crew.

verb phrase

1. 1. to extend at length.
   2. to spread out in order; arrange; prepare.
   3. to plan; plot; design.
   4. to ready (a corpse) for burial.
   5. Informal. to spend or contribute (money).
   6. Slang. to knock (someone) down or unconscious.
   7. Slang. to scold vehemently; reprimand:

      Whenever I come home late from school, my mom really lays me out.

   8. to make a layout of.
   9. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to absent oneself from school or work without permission or justification; play hooky.
2. 1. to cover with; apply:

      to lay on a coat of wax.

   2. to strike blows; attack violently:

      When the mob became unruly, the police began to lay on.

   3. Nautical. to sail toward.
   4. Nautical. to row (an oar) with a full stroke.
   5. Slang. to tell, impart, or give to:

      Let me lay a little good advice on you.

   6. Chiefly British Informal. to provide as a gift, bonus, or treat; give; treat:

      The owners laid on a Christmas dinner for the employees.

3. Slang. to relax.
4. 1. to cut open:

      to lay open an area of tissue with a scalpel.

   2. to expose; reveal:

      Her autobiography lays open shocking facts about her childhood.

   3. to expose or make vulnerable, as to blame, suspicion, or criticism:

      He was careful not to lay himself open to charges of partiality.

5. 1. to be postponed until action may be taken:

      The vote will have to be laid over until next week.

   2. to make a stop, as during a trip:

      We will have to lay over in Lyons on our way to the Riviera.

6. Informal. to wait for in order to attack or surprise; lie in wait for:

   The police are laying for him.

7. 1. to abandon or put to one side.
   2. to save for use at a later time; store:

      to lay aside some money every month.

8. 1. to dismiss (an employee), especially temporarily because of slack business.
   2. Informal. to cease or quit:

      He promised to lay off drinking.

   3. Slang. to stop annoying or teasing:

      Lay off me, will you?

   4. Informal. to stop work:

      They laid off at four and went home.

   5. to put aside or take off.
   6. to mark off; measure; plot.
   7. Slang. to give or hand over; pass on:

      They laid off their old sofa on the neighborhood recreation center.

   8. (of a bookmaker) to transfer all or part of (a wager) to other bookmakers in order to be protected against heavy losses.
   9. to get rid of or transfer (blame, responsibility, etc.):

      He tried to lay off the guilt for the crime on his son.

   10. Nautical. to sail away from.
   11. Nautical. to remain stationary at a distance from.
   12. Shipbuilding. lay ¹( def 47e ).
9. to store away for future use:

   We laid in a supply of canned goods.

10. 1. to put away for future use; store up.
    2. to cause to be confined to bed or kept indoors; disable.
    3. Nautical. to retire (a ship) from active use.
    4. Nautical. (of a ship) to be retired from active use.
    5. to construct (a masonry structure):

       The masons laid the outer walls up in Flemish bond.

    6. to apply (alternate layers of a material and a binder) to form a bonded material.
11. 1. to put away for future use; store; save:

       She had managed to lay by money for college from her earnings as a babysitter.

    2. Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to come to a standstill; heave to; lay to.
    3. Midland and Southern U.S. to tend (a crop) for the last time, leaving it to mature without further cultivation.
12. 1. Nautical. to check the motion of (a ship).
    2. Nautical. to put (a ship) in a dock or other place of safety.
    3. to attack vigorously.
    4. to put forth effort; apply oneself.
13. 1. to give up; yield:

       to lay down one's arms.

    2. to assert firmly; state authoritatively:

       to lay down rigid rules of conduct.

    3. to stock; store:

       to lay down wine.

    4. to produce or execute (something) successfully; throw down:

       In the top of the thirteenth inning, Jones laid down a perfect bunt.

    5. Shipbuilding. to draw at full size (the lines of a hull), as on the floor of a mold loft; lay off; loft.
14. Informal. to attack physically or verbally; assail:

    He laid into the opposition with fiery words.

15. 1. to reserve for later use; save.
    2. to hold merchandise pending final payment or request for delivery:

       to lay away a winter coat.

    3. to bury:

       They laid him away in the tomb.

lay

²

[ ley ]

verb

1. simple past tense of lie ².

lay

³

[ ley ]

adjective

1. belonging to, pertaining to, or performed by the people or laity, as distinguished from the clergy:

   a lay sermon.

2. not belonging to, connected with, or proceeding from a profession, especially the law or medicine.

lay

⁴

[ ley ]

noun

1. a short narrative or other poem, especially one to be sung.
2. a song.

lay

⁵

[ ley ]

noun

1. (on a loom) a movable frame that contains the shuttles, the race plate, and the reed, and that by its oscillating motion beats the filling yarn into place.
2. any movable part of a loom.

lay

¹

/ leɪ /

verb

1. the past tense of lie 2

lay

²

/ leɪ /

verb

1. to put in a low or horizontal position; cause to lie

   to lay a cover on a bed

2. to place, put, or be in a particular state or position

   he laid his finger on his lips

3. not_standard.
   intr to be in a horizontal position; lie

   he often lays in bed all the morning

4. sometimes foll by down to establish as a basis

   to lay a foundation for discussion

5. to place or dispose in the proper position

   to lay a carpet

6. to arrange (a table) for eating a meal
7. to prepare (a fire) for lighting by arranging fuel in the grate
8. also intr (of birds, esp the domestic hen) to produce (eggs)
9. to present or put forward

   he laid his case before the magistrate

10. to impute or attribute

    all the blame was laid on him

11. to arrange, devise, or prepare

    to lay a trap

12. to place, set, or locate

    the scene is laid in London

13. to apply on or as if on a surface

    to lay a coat of paint

14. to impose as a penalty or burden

    to lay a fine

15. to make (a bet) with (someone)

    I lay you five to one on Prince

16. to cause to settle

    to lay the dust

17. to allay; suppress

    to lay a rumour

18. to bring down forcefully

    to lay a whip on someone's back

19. slang.
    to have sexual intercourse with
20. slang.
    to bet on (a horse) to lose a race
21. to press down or make smooth

    to lay the nap of cloth

22. to cut (small trunks or branches of shrubs or trees) halfway through and bend them diagonally to form a hedge

    to lay a hedge

23. to arrange and twist together (strands) in order to form (a rope, cable, etc)
24. military to apply settings of elevation and training to (a weapon) prior to firing
25. foll by on hunting to put (hounds or other dogs) onto a scent
26. another word for inlay
27. dialect.
    intr; often foll by to or out to plan, scheme, or devise
28. intr nautical to move or go, esp into a specified position or direction

    to lay close to the wind

29. lay aboard
    nautical (formerly) to move alongside a warship to board it
30. lay a course
    1. nautical to sail on a planned course without tacking
    2. to plan an action
31. lay bare
    to reveal or explain

    he laid bare his plans

32. lay hands on
    See hands
33. lay hold of
    to seize or grasp
34. lay oneself open
    to make oneself vulnerable (to criticism, attack, etc)

    by making such a statement he laid himself open to accusations of favouritism

35. lay open
    to reveal or disclose
36. lay siege to
    to besiege (a city, etc)

noun

1. the manner or position in which something lies or is placed
2. taboo.
   1. an act of sexual intercourse
   2. a sexual partner
3. a portion of the catch or the profits from a whaling or fishing expedition
4. the amount or direction of hoist in the strands of a rope

lay

³

/ leɪ /

noun

1. a ballad or short narrative poem, esp one intended to be sung
2. a song or melody

lay

⁴

/ leɪ /

adjective

1. of, involving, or belonging to people who are not clergy
2. nonprofessional or nonspecialist; amateur

Usage

In careful English, the verb lay is used with an object and lie without one: the soldier laid down his arms; the Queen laid a wreath; the book was lying on the table; he was lying on the floor. In informal English, lay is frequently used for lie: the book was laying on the table. All careful writers and speakers observe the distinction even in informal contexts

Confusables Note

Lay1 and lie2 are often confused. Lay is most commonly a transitive verb and takes an object. Its forms are regular. If “place” or “put” can be substituted in a sentence, a form of lay is called for: Lay the folders on the desk. The mason is laying brick. She laid the baby in the crib. Lay also has many intransitive senses, among them “to lay eggs” ( The hens have stopped laying ), and it forms many phrasal verbs, such as lay off “to dismiss (from employment)” or “to stop annoying or teasing” and lay over “to make a stop.” Lie, with the overall senses “to be in a horizontal position, recline” and “to rest, remain, be situated, etc.,” is intransitive and takes no object. Its forms are irregular; its past tense form is identical with the present tense or infinitive form of lay : Lie down, children. Abandoned cars were lying along the road. The dog lay in the shade and watched the kittens play. The folders have lain on the desk since yesterday. In all but the most careful, formal speech, forms of lay are commonly heard in senses normally associated with lie. In edited written English such uses of lay are rare and are usually considered nonstandard: Lay down, children. The dog laid in the shade. Abandoned cars were laying along the road. The folders have laid on the desk since yesterday.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lay¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English layen, leggen, Old English lecgan (causative of licgan “to lie”; cognate with Dutch leggen, German legen, Old Norse legja, Gothic lagjan. lie ²

Origin of lay²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English lai “uneducated; not belonging to the clergy; secular,” from Middle French lai, from Medieval Latin lāicus “pertaining to the people or laity”; laic

Origin of lay³

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English lai, lei “a short narrative poem to be sung with musical accompaniment, especially a harp,” from Old French; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Celtic; compare Old Irish láed, laíd “metrical composition, poem, lay”; perhaps from Germanic; compare Middle High German leich “melody, song,” Old Norse lag (in the sense “air, tune”)

Origin of lay⁴

First recorded in 1780–90; variant of lathe

Word History and Origins

Origin of lay¹

Old English lecgan; related to Gothic lagjan, Old Norse leggja

Origin of lay²

C13: from Old French lai, perhaps of Germanic origin

Origin of lay³

C14: from Old French lai, from Late Latin lāicus, ultimately from Greek laos people

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get laid, Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.
2. lay a course,
   1. Nautical. to sail in the desired direction without tacking.
   2. to proceed according to a plan.
3. lay aboard, Nautical. (formerly, of a fighting ship) to come alongside (another fighting ship) in order to board.
4. lay about one,
   1. to strike or aim blows in every direction.
   2. to proceed to do; set about.
5. lay close, Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to sail close to the wind.
6. lay it on, to exaggerate in one's speech or actions, especially to engage in exaggerated flattery or reproof: Also lay it on thick.

   She was glad to be told what a splendid person she was, but they didn't have to lay it on so much.

7. lay oneself out, Informal. to try one's best; make a great effort:

   They laid themselves out to see that the reception would be a success.

8. lay low. low ¹( defs 50, 51 ).
9. lay siege to. siege ( def 9 ).

More idioms and phrases containing lay

• let it lay
• laid up
• lie
• put

Synonym Study

See put.

Example Sentences

This exclusion laid the foundation for the racial wealth gap that still endures: Black Americans, on average, hold a fraction of the wealth of white Americans.

From Salon

What’s more, “the reason that he was an adherent of the Conservative Party lay in protecting the things that should have been his enemies: the established order and the family system based on heterosexual love.”

From New York Times

With a Mozambican flag laid out on the floor next to burning candles, Alito's friends showed us a photo of him - with what appeared to be a gunshot wound in the back of his head.

From BBC

She laid complete blame for the injuries suffered by Isabella with Jeff.

From BBC

Since the start of the conflict nearly three years ago, Putin has repeatedly laid out nuclear "red lines’" which the West has repeatedly crossed. It seems many have become used to Russia’s nuclear “sabre-rattling”.

From BBC

Related Words

• melody
• poem
• song
• tune

Lay vs. Lie

What's the difference between lay and lie?

Lay commonly means to put or place someone or something down, as in Lay the bags on the table or I’m going to lay the baby in the crib. The sense of lie that’s often confused with lay means to be in or get into a reclining position—to recline, as in I just want to lie in bed for a few more minutes.

Though it’s considered nonstandard, lay is commonly used to mean the same thing as this sense of lie, as in I just want to lay in bed for a few more minutes.

The confusion between the two words is largely due to the fact that lay is also the past tense form of this sense of lie, as in I lay in bed yesterday morning wishing I could go back to sleep. The other tenses of this sense of lie are lain, as in I have lain in bed for the past three hours, and lying, as in I am lying in bed right now. (In contrast, when lie is used as a verb meaning to tell an untruth, its past tense is simply lied.)

The other tenses of lay are laid, as in I laid the bags on the table, and laying, as in Start laying the fruit here and the vegetables there.

Lay is typically used with an object, meaning someone or something is getting laid down by someone. In contrast, lie is something you do yourself without any other recipients of the action.

This sense of lie is commonly used in the verb phrase lie down, as in I was feeling tired so I decided to lie down. Using the phrase lay down to mean the same thing is considered nonstandard, but it’s also very common.

Lay down is also used as a verb phrase meaning about the same thing as lay, as in You can lay down your bags on the table (or You can lay your bags down on the table).

Although lay and lie are often used interchangeably in casual communication, it’s best to use them in the standard way in more formal contexts.

A good way to remember which one to use is to think about whether you could replace the word with put or recline. If you can replace it with put, you probably want to use lay, as in Please lay (put) the bags on the table. If you could replace the word with recline, you probably want to use lie, as in I just want to lie (recline) in bed for a few more minutes.

Here’s an example of lay and lie used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: He said he was just going to lay the blanket on the grass and lie on it for a few minutes, but he lied. After he laid the blanket down, he lay on it for two hours!

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between lay and lie.

Quiz yourself on lay vs. lie!

Should lay or lie be used in the following sentence?

I’m going to _____ the baby down to take a nap.