lay1
• verb (past and past part. laid) 1 put down, especially gently or carefully. 2 put down and set in position for use. 3 assign or place: lay the blame. 4 (lay before) present (material) for consideration and action to. 5 (of a female bird, reptile, etc.) produce (an egg) from inside the body. 6 stake (an amount of money) in a wager. 7 cause (a ghost) to stop appearing; exorcize. 8 vulgar slang have sexual intercourse with. • noun 1 the general appearance of an area of land. 2 the position or direction in which something lies. 3 vulgar slang a sexual partner or act of sexual intercourse. — PHRASES lay about one strike out wildly. lay claim to assert one’s right to or possession of. lay down 1 formulate and enact (a rule or principle). 2 build up a deposit of (a substance). 3 store (wine) in a cellar. 4 pay or wager (money). lay in/up build up (a stock) in case of need. lay into informal attack violently. lay off 1 discharge (a worker) temporarily or permanently because of a shortage of work. 2 informal give up. lay on chiefly Brit. provide (a service or amenity). lay something on thick (or with a trowel) informal grossly exaggerate or overemphasize something. lay open to expose (someone) to the risk of. lay out 1 construct or arrange (buildings or gardens) according to a plan. 2 arrange and present (material) for printing and publication. 3 prepare (someone) for burial after death. 4 informal spend (a sum of money). lay to rest 1 bury (a body) in a grave. 2 soothe and dispel (fear, anxiety, etc.). lay up 1 put out of action through illness or injury. 2 see lay in. 3 take (a ship or other vehicle) out of service. — USAGE The words lay and lie are often used incorrectly. You lay something, as in they are going to lay the carpet, but you lie down on a bed or other flat surface. The past tense and past participle of lay is laid, as in they laid the groundwork or she had laid careful plans; the past tense of lie is lay (he lay on the floor) and the past participle is lain (she had lain on the bed for hours). — ORIGIN Old English, related to LIE1.
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