Definition
Meaning of 'lay'
Meaning of 'lay' (Webster Dictionary)
1. Lay 
[ a.]
- Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy;
as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother. [ a.]- Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.
- Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease.
- A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad.
- A melody; any musical utterance.
2. Lay [ imp.]
- of Lie, to recline. [ imp.]- of Lie
3. Lay [ n.]
- The laity; the common people. [ n.]- A meadow. See Lea.
- Faith; creed; religious profession.
- A law.
- An obligation; a vow.
- 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.
4. Lay [ v. i.]
- To produce and deposit eggs. [ v. i.]- To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay forward; to lay aloft.
- To lay a wager; to bet.
5. Lay [ 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. [ v. t.]- 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.
- To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan.
- To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.
- To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit.
- To cause to lie dead or dying.
- To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk.
- To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs.
- To apply; to put.
- To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land.
- To impute; to charge; to allege.
- To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one.
- To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one.
- To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue.
- To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun.
- 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.
- To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
- To place (new type) properly in the cases.
- A wager.
- 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.
- A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st Lea (a).
- The lathe of a loom. See Lathe, 3.
- A plan; a scheme.
Meaning of 'lay' (Princeton's WordNet)
1. lay [ v]
[ v]Meaning (1):
- prepare or position for action or operation
- prepare or position for action or operation
Example in sentence:
- lay a fire;
- lay the foundation for a new health care plan
Meaning (2):
- impose as a duty, burden, or punishment
- impose as a duty, burden, or punishment
Example in sentence:
- lay a responsibility on someone
Meaning (3):
- put in a horizontal position
- put in a horizontal position
Example in sentence:
- lay the books on the table;
- lay the patient carefully onto the bed
Meaning (4):
- put into a certain place or abstract location
- put into a certain place or abstract location
Example in sentence:
- Place emphasis on a certain point;
- Put your things here;
- Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children;
- Set the tray down
Meaning (5):
- lay eggs
- lay eggs
Example in sentence:
- This hen doesn't lay
2. lay [ s]
[ s]Meaning (6):
- not of or from a profession
- not of or from a profession
Example in sentence:
- a lay opinion as to the cause of the disease
Meaning (7):
- characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy
- characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy
Example in sentence:
- set his collar in laic rather than clerical position;
- the lay ministry
See 'lay' also in:
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