Lexic.us

Definition of Lay

1. Adjective. Characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy. "The lay ministry"

2. Verb. Put into a certain place or abstract location. "They lay the bags on the table"; "Place emphasis on a certain point"

3. Noun. A narrative song with a recurrent refrain.

4. Adjective. Not of or from a profession. "A lay opinion as to the cause of the disease"

5. Verb. Put in a horizontal position. "Lay the patient carefully onto the bed"

6. Noun. A narrative poem of popular origin.

7. Verb. Prepare or position for action or operation. "Lay the foundation for a new health care plan"

8. Verb. Lay eggs. "This hen doesn't lay"

9. Verb. Impose as a duty, burden, or punishment. "Lay a responsibility on someone"

Definition of Lay

1. a. Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.

2. n. The laity; the common people.

3. n. A meadow. See Lea.

4. n. Faith; creed; religious profession.

5. a. A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad.

6. v. t. To cause to lie down, to be prostrate, or to lie against something; to put or set down; to deposit; as, to lay a book on the table; to lay a body in the grave; a shower lays the dust.

7. v. i. To produce and deposit eggs.

8. n. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood.

Definition of Lay

1. Verb. (transitive) To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position. ¹

2. Verb. (transitive archaic) To cause to subside or abate. ¹

3. Verb. (transitive) To leave something somewhere. ¹

4. Verb. (transitive) To prepare (a plan, project etc.); to set out, establish (a law, principle). ¹

5. Verb. (transitive) To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another. ¹

6. Verb. (transitive) To produce and deposit an egg. ¹

7. Verb. (transitive) To wager that an event will not take place. ¹

8. Verb. (transitive slang) To have sex with. ¹

9. Noun. Arrangement or relationship; layout. ¹

10. Noun. The direction a rope is twisted. ¹

11. Noun. (colloquial) A casual sexual partner. ¹

12. Noun. (nonstandard or colloquial) ''the '''lay''' of the land'' (rather than the standard ''the lie of the land)'' ¹

13. Noun. A lake. ¹

14. Adjective. Non-professional; not being a member of an organized institution. ¹

15. Adjective. Not belonging to the clergy, but associated with them. ¹

16. Verb. (simple past of lie) when pertaining to position. ¹

17. Verb. (proscribed) To be in a horizontal position; to lie (from confusion with lie). ¹

18. Noun. A ballad or sung poem; a short poem or narrative, usually intended to be sung. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Lay

1. to deposit as a wager [v LAID or LAYED, LAYING, LAYS]

Medical Definition of Lay

1. 1. To cause to lie down, to be prostrate, or to lie against something; to put or set down; to deposit; as, to lay a book on the table; to lay a body in the grave; a shower lays the dust. "A stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den." (Dan. Vi. 17) "Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid." (Milton) 2. To place in position; to establish firmly; to arrange with regularity; to dispose in ranks or tiers; as, to lay a corner stone; to lay bricks in a wall; to lay the covers on a table. 3. To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan. 4. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint. 5. To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit. "After a tempest when the winds are laid." (Waller) 6. To cause to lie dead or dying. "Brave Caeneus laid Ortygius on the plain, The victor Caeneus was by Turnus slain." (Dryden) 7. To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk. "I dare lay mine honor He will remain so." (Shak) 8. To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs. 9. To apply; to put. "She layeth her hands to the spindle." (Prov. Xxxi. 19) 10. To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land. "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Is. Iiii. 6) 11. To impute; to charge; to allege. "God layeth not folly to them." (Job xxiv. 12) "Lay the fault on us." (Shak) 12. To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one. 13. To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one. 14. To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue. 15. To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun. 16. To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc) in their proper places and twist or unite them; as, to lay a cable or rope. 17. To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone. To place (new type) properly in the cases. To lay asleep, to put sleep; to make unobservant or careless. To lay bare, to make bare; to strip. "And laid those proud roofs bare to summer's rain." (Byron) To lay before, to present to; to submit for consideration; as, the papers are laid before Congress. To lay by. To save. To discard. "Let brave spirits . . . Not be laid by." (Bacon) To lay by the heels, to put in the stocks. To lay down. To stake as a wager. To yield; to relinquish; to surrender; as, to lay down one's life; to lay down one's arms. To assert or advance, as a proposition or principle. To lay forth. To extend at length; (reflexively) to exert one's self; to expatiate. To lay out (as a corpse). To lay hands on, to seize. To lay hands on one's self, or To lay violent hands on one's self, to injure one's self; specif, to commit suicide. To lay heads together, to consult. To lay hold of, or To lay hold on, to seize; to catch. To lay in, to store; to provide. To lay it on, to apply without stint. To lay on, to apply with force; to inflict; as, to lay on blows. To lay on load, to lay on blows; to strike violently. To lay one's self out, to strive earnestly. "No selfish man will be concerned to lay out himself for the good of his country." (Smalridge) To lay one's self open to, to expose one's self to, as to an accusation. To lay open, to open; to uncover; to expose; to reveal. To lay over, to spread over; to cover. To lay out. To expend. To display; to discover. To plan in detail; to arrange; as, to lay out a garden. To prepare for burial; as, to lay out a corpse. To exert; as, to lay out all one's strength. To lay siege to. To besiege; to encompass with an army. To beset pertinaciously. To lay the course To check the motion of (a vessel) and cause it to be stationary. To lay to heart, to feel deeply; to consider earnestly. To lay under, to subject to; as, to lay under obligation or restraint. To lay unto. Same as To lay to (above). To put before. To lay up. To store; to reposit for future use. To confine; to disable. To dismantle, and retire from active service, as a ship. To lay wait for, to lie in ambush for. To lay waste, to destroy; to make desolate; as, to lay waste the land. Synonym: See Put, and the Note under 4th Lie. Origin: OE. Leggen, AS. Lecgan, causative, fr. Licgan to lie; akin to D.leggen, G. Legen, Icel. Leggja, Goth. Lagjan. See Lie to be prostrate. 1. Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother. 2. Not educated or cultivated; ignorant. 3. Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease. Lay baptism, time allowed in a charter party for taking in and discharging cargo. Lay elder. See Elder, 3, note. Origin: F. Lai, L. Laicus, Gr. Of or from the people, lay, from, people. Cf. Laic. 1. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood. "A viol should have a lay of wire strings below." (Bacon) The lay of a rope is right-handed or left-handed according to the hemp or strands are laid up. See Lay. The lay of land is its topographical situation, especially. Its slope and its surface features. 2. A wager. "My fortunes against any lay worth naming." 3. A job, price, or profit. A share of the proceeds or profits of an enterprise; as, when a man ships for a whaling voyage, he agrees for a certain lay. 4. A measure of yarn; a les. See 1st Lea . The lathe of a loom. See Lathe. 5. A plan; a scheme. Lay figure. A jointed model of the human body that may be put in any attitude; used for showing the disposition of drapery, etc. A mere puppet; one who serves the will of others without independent volition. Lay race, that part of a lay on which the shuttle travels in weaving. Synonym: shuttle race. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Lay

laxator tympani laxators laxer laxers laxes laxest laxism laxisms laxist laxists

laxities laxity laxly laxness laxnesses lay-by lay-bys lay-down lay-in lay-ins

lay-off lay-offs lay-up lay a finger on lay a foundation lay a venue lay about lay an egg lay aside

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