lay

For the verb: "to lay"

Simple Past:	laid, lay
Past Participle:	laid, lain

Multiple Entries:
  lay    lie  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
lay1

▶verb (past and past part. laid)

• 1 put down, especially gently or carefully.

• 2 put down and set in position for use.

  ■ Brit. set cutlery on (a table) in preparation for a meal.

  ■ put the material for (a fire) in place.

  ■ prepare (a trap).

  ■ (lay something before) present material for consideration and action to (someone).

• 3 (with an abstract noun) put or place: lay the blame.

• 4 (of a female bird, reptile, etc.) produce (an egg) from inside the body.

• 5 stake (an amount of money) in a wager.

• 6 cause (a ghost) to stop appearing; exorcize.

• 7 vulgar slang have sexual intercourse with.

• 8 trim (a hedge) by cutting the branches half through, bending them down, and interweaving them.

• 9 Nautical follow (a specified course).

▶noun

• 1 the general appearance of an area of land.

  ■ the position or direction in which something lies: roll the carpet against the lay of the nap.

• 2 vulgar slang a sexual partner or act of sexual intercourse.

• 3 the laying of eggs or the period during which they are laid.

– phrases
lay claim to assert one's right to or possession of.
lay hands on find and take possession of or acquire.
lay hold of (or on) catch at or gain possession of.
lay someone low reduce someone to inactivity, illness, or a lowly position.
lay something on thick (or with a trowel) informal grossly exaggerate or overemphasize something.
lay someone open to expose someone to the risk of.
lay someone/thing to rest

• 1 bury a body in a grave.

• 2 soothe and dispel fear, anxiety, etc.

– phrasal verbs
lay about Brit. beat or attack violently.

■ (lay about one) strike out wildly on all sides.

lay something down

• 1 formulate and enact a rule or principle.

• 2 begin to construct a ship or railway.

• 3 build up a deposit of a substance.

• 4 store wine in a cellar.

• 5 pay or bet money.

• 6 informal record a piece of music.

lay something in/up build up a stock of something in case of need.
lay into informal attack violently.
lay off informal give up.
lay someone off discharge a worker temporarily or permanently because of a shortage of work.
lay something off

• 1 chiefly Soccer pass the ball to a teammate.

• 2 (of a bookmaker) insure against a loss resulting from a large bet by placing a similar bet with another bookmaker.

lay something on Brit. provide a service or amenity.
lay someone out

• 1 prepare someone for burial after death.

• 2 informal knock someone unconscious.

lay something out

• 1 spread something out to its full extent.

• 2 construct or arrange buildings or gardens according to a plan.

  ■ arrange and present material for printing and publication.

• 3 informal spend a sum of money.

lay someone up put someone out of action through illness or injury.
lay something up

• 1 see lay something in/up.

• 2 take a ship or other vehicle out of service.

– origin OE lecgan, of Gmc origin; rel. to lie1.

usage: The words lay and lie are often used incorrectly. Lay means, broadly, ‘put something down’, as in they are going to lay the carpet, whereas lie means ‘be in a horizontal position to rest’, as in why don't you lie down? The past tense and the past participle of lay is laid (they laid the carpet); the past tense of lie is lay (he lay on the floor) and the past participle is lain (she had lain awake for hours).

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
lay2

▶adjective

• 1 not ordained into or belonging to the clergy.

• 2 not having professional qualifications or expert knowledge.

– origin ME: from OFr. lai, via late L. from Gk laïkos, from laos ‘people’.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
lay3

▶noun

• 1 a short lyric or narrative poem meant to be sung.

• 2 literary a song.

– origin ME: from OFr. lai, corresp. to Provençal lais, of unknown origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
lay4

past of lie1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
lie1

▶verb (lies, lying; past lay; past part. lain)

• 1 be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface.

  ■ be buried in a particular place.

• 2 be or remain in a specified state.

• 3 reside or be found: the solution lies in a return to traditional values.

• 4 be situated in a specified position or direction.

• 5 Law (of an action, charge, or claim) be admissible or sustainable.

▶noun

• 1 the way, direction, or position in which something lies or comes to rest.

• 2 the place of cover of an animal or a bird.

– phrases
let something lie take no action on a difficult matter.
lie low keep out of sight; avoid attention.
the lie (N. Amer. lay) of the land

• 1 the features of an area.

• 2 the current situation.

take something lying down [usu. with neg.] accept an insult, setback, or rebuke without protest.

– phrasal verbs
lie in

• 1 Brit. remain in bed later than usual.

• 2 archaic (of a pregnant woman) go to bed to give birth.

lie off Nautical (of a ship) stand some distance from shore or from another ship.
lie to Nautical (of a ship) come almost to a stop with its head towards the wind.
lie up (of a ship) go into dock or be out of commission.
lie with archaic have sex with.

– origin OE licgan, of Gmc origin.

usage: On the distinction between lie and lay, see usage at lay1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
lie2

▶noun an intentionally false statement.

■ a situation involving deception or founded on a mistaken impression: she had been living a lie.

▶verb (lies, lying, lied) tell a lie or lies.

■ (of a thing) present a false impression.

– phrases
give the lie to serve to show that (something assumed to be the case) is not true.
lie through one's teeth informal tell an outright lie.

– origin OE lyge (n.), lēogan (v.), of Gmc origin.