英语词汇“lay”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

verb | verb | adjective | noun

laylay1 /leɪ/ ●●● S1 W2 verb (lays, laid, laying)

VERB TABLE

lay

Simple Form
Present	I, you, we, they	lay
	he, she, it	lays
Past	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	laid
Present perfect	I, you, we, they	have laid
	he, she, it	has laid
Past perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	had laid
Future	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will lay
Future perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will have laid

Continuous Form
Present	I	am laying
	he, she, it	is laying
	you, we, they	are laying
Past	I, he, she, it	was laying
	you, we, they	were laying
Present perfect	I, you, we, they	have been laying
	he, she, it	has been laying
Past perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	had been laying
Future	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will be laying
Future perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will have been laying

COLLOCATIONS► Lay ... flat

Lay the map flat on the floor.

► lay the foundation/groundwork for something

(=do what is necessary for something to develop successfully)

► even the best-laid plans...

(=used to say that even if you plan carefully, you may still have problems)

1PUT somebody/something DOWN [transitive always + adv./prep.] to put someone or something down carefully into a flat position: lay something/somebody down Nancy laid the baby down.lay something in/on/under etc. something He laid his gloves on the table. Lay the map flat on the floor.2EGGS [intransitive, transitive] science, biology if an animal, insect, etc. lays eggs, it produces them from its body: Turtles lay their eggs on the beach at night.3PREPARE [transitive] to carefully prepare something, especially something that will harm someone else: Local leaders laid plans to raise money for the stadium.lay the foundation/groundwork for something (=do what is necessary for something to develop successfully)even the best-laid plans... (=used to say that even if you plan carefully, you may still have problems)4LIE nonstandard [intransitive] to lie5lay bricks/carpet/cables/pipes etc. to put or attach something in the correct place, especially onto something flat or under the ground: Workers were laying carpet in the new building.6lay a finger/hand on somebody to touch someone, or to hurt someone, especially by hitting him or her: Don’t you lay a finger on my child!7lay (the) blame on somebody (also lay the blame at somebody’s feet/doorstep) to blame someone for something: The president is laying the blame on Congress.8lay something to rest to stop arguing about, worrying about, or discussing something, or to make people stop doing this: He is anxious to lay all the rumors to rest.9lay waste (to something) to destroy or damage everything in a place, especially in a war: The fire laid waste to the area.10lay something on the line to risk losing your life, your job, etc., especially in order to help someone: soldiers who lay their lives on the line11lay it on the line to state something, especially a threat, demand, or criticism, in a very clear way: I’m going to lay it on the line, now. This has to stop!12lay your hands on something to find or get something: As a child, I read any book I could lay my hands on.13lay somebody open to blame/criticism/ridicule etc. formal to do something that makes it possible for other people to blame you, criticize you, etc.: Such behavior could lay her open to criticism.14lay claim to something to state that you have the right to own or be something or that you possess a particular ability: Two families laid claim to the property. He lays claim to the title “greatest athlete of all time.”15lay your case before somebody to give your side of an argument in an official or public way: Moyers laid his case before the public.16lay a trap a)to do something to prepare to catch someone: Authorities had laid a trap for the drug smugglers. b)to prepare a piece of equipment for catching animals: The farmer was laying traps for rabbits.17lay somebody to rest to bury someone, used especially when talking about funeral ceremonies18lay something at somebody’s door to say that something is someone’s fault19lay something ↔ bare a)to remove what covers, hides, or shelters something: After weeks of work, the old foundations were laid bare. b)to stop hiding something, or to show what the truth about something really is: Krushchev laid bare Stalin’s crimes.20lay somebody low a)to make someone very ill and unable to do normal activities for a period of time b)literary to hit someone and knock him or her down21lay hands (on somebody) to pray for someone while touching him or her22lay somebody/something flat to hit someone or something and knock him, her, or it down23lay an egg old-fashioned to fail or be unsuccessful: The first episode of the series laid an egg.24lay a table old-fashioned to put plates, knives, forks, etc. on a table, ready for a meal; set the table → see also put/lay your cards on the table at card1 (10), get/lay your hands on something at hand1 (19)WORD CHOICE: lay, lie• Use lay when you mean “to put something in a particular position”: Just lay the papers on the desk. The other forms of this verb are lays, laid (past tense and past participle), and laying.• Use lie when you mean “to be or get into a position that is flat on a surface”: Lie on the floor. The papers were lying on the desk. The other forms of this verb are lay, (past tense) lain, (past participle) lying, and lies. Note that the past tense of lie is lay.• Lay is a transitive verb, so there is always an object after the verb: I lay the baby on the bed to change him. Lie is an intransitive verb, so there is no object after the verb: The baby lay on the bed. Note that the first example is in the present tense, while the second example is in the past tense.• In spoken English you will also sometimes hear sentences like: I need to lay down. instead of: I need to lie down. but this is considered incorrect.lay something ↔ aside phrasal verb1to stop using, doing, or preparing something, especially to do something else: Yolanda laid her book aside.2to stop behaving in a particular way, or stop showing particular feelings, especially so you can achieve something: We must lay aside our personal differences in the interest of national defense.3to save something, usually money, to use in the future: I’ve laid aside a little money for next summer.lay back phrasal verb nonstandard to take no action when action is needed SYN sit back: We’re not going to lay back and let them close our business.lay something ↔ down phrasal verb1lay down your weapons/arms etc. to stop fighting in a war, battle, etc. when you realize that you cannot win: The prime minister urged the rebels to lay down their arms.2to state something officially or firmly, for example a rule or a set of principles: The law lays down the rules for the treatment of prisoners.3lay down your life formal to lose your life, for example in a war, in order to help other people4lay down the law to tell someone very firmly how he or she should behave: I finally laid down the law and limited my son’s TV-watching time.5to store something, especially wine, to use in the futurelay something ↔ in phrasal verb formal to obtain and store a large supply of something to use in the future SYN stock up: Squirrels laid in plenty of nuts for the winter.lay into somebody phrasal verb to attack someone physically or with words: As soon as he got home, she laid into him.lay off phrasal verb1lay somebody ↔ off to stop employing a worker, because there is no work for them to do: The company closed and laid off 40 employees.2 lay off something informal to stop doing, having, or using something: I think you should lay off coffee for a while.3 lay off somebody to stop annoying someone: Lay off him. He’s just a kid.lay on phrasal verb1spoken informal lay something on somebody to give someone something such as a responsibility or problem that is difficult to deal with: Sorry to lay this on you now, but we need the report by Friday.2lay it on thick informal to do or say something in a way that makes something seem better, more amusing, bigger, etc. than it really is SYN exaggerate: She was flattering him, really laying it on thick. He loved it!lay out phrasal verb1SPREAD lay something ↔ out to put something on or over a surface, especially in a neat or organized way: I laid out my clothes for the next day.2ARRANGE lay something ↔ out to arrange or plan a building, town, garden, etc.: May’s home is laid out in a U-shape.3DESCRIBE lay something ↔ out to officially tell about or describe a plan, idea, etc.: The letter laid out the administration’s plans for economic reform.4LIE spoken nonstandard to lie in the sun in order to make your skin brown: We’re going to the park to lay out.5SPEND lay something ↔ out informal to spend money, usually a lot of money: lay out something on something We had to lay out $800 on car repairs. → see also outlay6HIT lay somebody ↔ out to knock someone down, especially hard enough to make him or her unconscious7BODY lay somebody ↔ out formal to prepare a dead body so that it can be buriedlay over phrasal verb to stay somewhere for a short time before continuing your trip: We laid over in Chicago for a few hours.lay somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb if an injury or illness lays you up, you have to stay in bed: be laid up with something Jeff is laid up with a broken leg.