LAY • FREE-TRANSLATOR.COM • Definition of Lay

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Lay

verb

(past & past part. laid; pres. part. laying)

1.

Put into a certain place or abstract location. Synonyms: place, pose, position, put, set. "Set the tray down" , "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children" , "Place emphasis on a certain point"

2.

Put in a horizontal position. Synonyms: put down, repose. "Lay the patient carefully onto the bed"

3.

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

4.

Lay eggs.

5.

Impose as a duty, burden, or punishment.

adjective

1.

Characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy. Synonyms: laic, secular. "The lay ministry"

2.

Not of or from a profession.

noun

1.

A narrative song with a recurrent refrain. Synonym: ballad.

2.

A narrative poem of popular origin. Synonym: ballad.

Lie

verb

(in the sense of being located: past lay; past part. lain, obs. lien; pres. part. lying) (in the sense of telling an untruth: past & past part. lied; pres. part. lying)

1.

Be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position.

2.

Be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position. "The books are lying on the shelf" Antonyms: sit, stand.

3.

Originate (in). Synonyms: consist, dwell, lie in.

4.

Be and remain in a particular state or condition.

5.

Tell an untruth; pretend with intent to deceive. "She lied when she told me she was only 29"

6.

Have a place in relation to something else. Synonym: rest. "The responsibility rests with the Allies"

7.

Assume a reclining position. Synonym: lie down. Antonym: arise.

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WordNet 3.0 © 2010 Princeton University

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"Lay" Quotes from Famous Books

... New and soak them thoroughly in good apple vinegar and you will be delighted with the result. Do not wring them out, but hang them near a stove or lay out on a plate until dry. This treatment will double the lighting power of your lamps or lanterns. With wicks prepared in this way, only one cleaning each week is necessary, as the wicks will not smoke and the chimney and globe will ...

— Fowler's Household Helps • A. L. Fowler

... the garden with three of her maidens; and they fell to chasing each other about, as whiles is the wont of maidens to play; until at the last the fair Emperor's daughter came under the tree whereas Coustans lay a-sleeping, and he was all vermil as the rose. And when the damsel saw him, she beheld him with a right good will, and she said to herself that never on a day had she seen so fair a fashion of man. Then she called to her that one of her fellows in whom ...

— Old French Romances • William Morris

... are more fully elaborated by Mr. Sumner, of Massachusetts, so they will pass under review when we come to examine the speech of that Senator. In the mean time, we beg leave to lay before the reader a few living examples of the manner in which the law of nature, as written on the hearts and consciences of freemen, has expressed itself in regard to the points ...

— Cotton is King and The Pro-Slavery Arguments • Various

... shower bath. At ten o'clock he left the house, saying he would go himself to see Ramond; but he had another object in going out—he had seen at a show in Plassans a corsage of old point d'Alencon; a marvel of beauty which lay there awaiting some lover's generous folly, and the thought had come to him in the midst of the tortures of the night, to make a present of it to Clotilde, to adorn her wedding gown. This bitter idea of himself adorning her, of making her beautiful and fair for the gift of herself, touched ...

— Doctor Pascal • Emile Zola

... number and brilliancy, were only equalled by her balls. The dandies patronised her, and selected her for their Muse. The Duke of Shropshire betted on her always at ecarte; and, to crown the whole affair, she made Mr. Dallington Vere lay claim to a dormant peerage. The women were all pique, the men all patronage. A Protestant minister was alarmed; and Lord Squib supposed that Mrs. Dallington must be the Scarlet Lady of whom ...

— The Young Duke • Benjamin Disraeli

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