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

to lay a book on a desk.

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

One punch laid him low.

to put or place in a particular position

The dog laid its ears back.

to cause to be in a particular state or condition

Their motives were laid bare.

to set, place, or apply (often fol. by to or on )

to lay hands on a child.

to dispose or place in proper position or in an orderly fashion

to lay bricks.

to place on, along, or under a surface

to lay a pipeline.

to establish as a basis; set up

to lay the foundations for further negotiations.

to present or submit for notice or consideration

I laid my case before the commission.

to present, bring forward, or make, as a claim or charge.

to impute, attribute, or ascribe

to lay blame on the inspector.

to bury

They laid him in the old churchyard.

to bring forth and deposit (an egg or eggs).

to impose as a burden, duty, penalty, or the like

to lay an embargo on oil shipments.

to place dinner service on (a table); set.

to place on or over a surface, as paint; cover or spread with something else.

to devise or arrange, as a plan.

to deposit as a wager; bet

He laid

to set (a trap).

to place, set, or locate

The scene is laid in France.

to smooth down or make even

to lay the nap of cloth.

to cause to subside

laying the clouds of dust with a spray of water.

Slang

Vulgar to have sexual intercourse with.

to bring (a stick, lash, etc.) down, as on a person, in inflicting punishment.

to form by twisting strands together, as a rope.

Nautical . to move or turn (a sailing vessel) into a certain position or direction.

to aim a cannon in a specified direction at a specified elevation.

to put (dogs) on a scent.

to lay eggs.

to wager or bet.

to apply oneself vigorously.

to deal or aim blows vigorously (usually fol. by on, at, about, etc.).

Nonstandard . lie 2 .

South Midland U.S. to plan or scheme (often fol. by out ).

Midland and Southern U.S. (of the wind) to diminish; subside

When the wind lays, it'll rain.

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

to lay aloft; to lay close to the wind.

the way or position in which a thing is laid or lies

the lay of the land.

Slang

Vulgar

a partner in sexual intercourse.

an instance of sexual intercourse.

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.

Also called lay-up , spread. (in the garment industry) multiple layers of fabric upon which a pattern or guide is placed for production-line cutting.

batten 3 ( defs. 1, 2 ) .

a share of the profits or the catch of a whaling or fishing voyage, distributed to officers and crew. ?

lay aside,

to abandon; reject.

to save for use at a later time; store

to lay aside some money every month.

lay away,

to reserve for later use; save.

to hold merchandise pending final payment or request for delivery

to lay away a winter coat.

to bury

They laid him away in the tomb.

lay back, Slang . to relax.

lay by,

to put away for future use; store; save

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

Nautical . (of a sailing vessel) to come to a standstill; heave to; lay to.

Midland and Southern U.S. to tend (a crop) for the last time, leaving it to mature without further cultivation.

lay down,

to give up; yield

to lay down one's arms.

to assert firmly; state authoritatively

to lay down rigid rules of conduct.

to stock; store

to lay down wine.

Shipbuilding . to draw at full size (the lines of a hull), as on the floor of a mold loft; lay off; loft.

lay for, Informal . to wait for in order to attack or surprise; lie in wait for

The police are laying for him.

lay in, to store away for future use

We laid in a supply of canned goods.

lay into, Informal . to attack physically or verbally; assail

He laid into the opposition with fiery words.

lay off,

to dismiss (an employee), esp. temporarily because of slack business.

Informal . to cease or quit

He promised to lay off drinking.

Slang . to stop annoying or teasing

Lay off me, will you?

Informal . to stop work

They laid off at four and went home.

to put aside or take off.

to mark off; measure; plot.

Slang . to give or hand over; pass on

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

(of a bookmaker) to transfer all or part of (a wager) to other bookmakers in order to be protected against heavy losses.

to get rid of or transfer (blame, responsibility, etc.)

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

Nautical . to sail away from.

Nautical . to remain stationary at a distance from.

Shipbuilding . lay 1 ( def. 47d ) .

lay on,

to cover with; apply

to lay on a coat of wax.

to strike blows; attack violently

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

Nautical . to sail toward.

Nautical . to row (an oar) with a full stroke.

Slang . to tell, impart, or give to

Let me lay a little good advice on you.

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

The owners laid on a Christmas dinner for the employees.

lay open,

to cut open

to lay open an area of tissue with a scalpel.

to expose; reveal

Her autobiography lays open shocking facts about her childhood.

to expose or make vulnerable, as to blame, suspicion, or criticism

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

lay out,

to extend at length.

to spread out in order; arrange; prepare.

to plan; plot; design.

to ready (a corpse) for burial.

Informal . to spend or contribute (money).

Slang . to knock (someone) down or unconscious.

Slang . to scold vehemently; reprimand

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

to make a layout of.

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to absent oneself from school or work without permission or justification; play hooky.

lay over,

to be postponed until action may be taken

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

to make a stop, as during a trip

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

lay to,

Nautical . to check the motion of (a ship).

Nautical . to put (a ship) in a dock or other place of safety.

to attack vigorously.

to put forth effort; apply oneself.

lay up,

to put away for future use; store up.

to cause to be confined to bed or kept indoors; disable.

Nautical . to retire (a ship) from active use.

Nautical . (of a ship) to be retired from active use.

to construct (a masonry structure)

The masons laid the outer walls up in Flemish bond.

to apply (alternate layers of a material and a binder) to form a bonded material. ?

get laid

Slang

Vulgar to have sexual intercourse.

lay aboard, Nautical . (formerly

of a fighting ship) to come alongside (another fighting ship) in order to board.

lay about one

to strike or aim blows in every direction.

to proceed to do; set about.

lay a course

Nautical . to sail in the desired direction without tacking.

to proceed according to a plan.

lay close

Nautical . (of a sailing vessel) to sail close to the wind.

lay it on, to exaggerate in one's speech or actions

esp. to engage in exaggerated flattery or reproof

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

lay low. low 1 ( defs. 50

51 ) .

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.

lay siege to. siege ( def. 9 ) .

verb

begin , start , employ , hire

verb

cease , desist , end , give a rest , give up , halt , leave alone , leave off , let up , lie by , quit , rest , spell , discharge , dismiss , drop , fire , let go , oust , pay off , retire early , lay