lay¹ /lā/

1. To cause to lie
2. To place or set down
3. To beat down
4. To spread on a surface
5. To spread or set something on
6. To cover
7. To apply
8. To cause to subside
9. To exorcize
10. To deposit
11. To set on the table
12. To make (a bet), wager
13. To put forward
14. To cause to be
15. To set
16. To produce and deposit
17. To station
18. To locate
19. To put in (a particular) position
20. To waylay
21. To impose
22. To attribute or impute
23. To set material in position for making
24. To form (a rope, etc) by setting in position and twisting
25. To design or plan
26. To layer (horticulture)
27. To cause (a hedge) to grow more thickly by cutting some of the growth halfway through and pressing it diagonally towards the ground
28. To have sexual intercourse with (slang)
29. To put below the horizon by sailing away
30. To give birth to a child (obsolete)
31. To beset (Shakespeare)

1. To produce eggs
2. To wager or bet
3. To deal blows
4. To lie (archaic, nautical and non-standard)

1. A situation, a place for lying
2. An oyster-bed
3. A way of lying
4. A disposition, arrangement or plan
5. A layer
6. A mode of twisting
7. Laying activity
8. An act of sexual intercourse (slang)
9. A partner, usu female, in sexual intercourse (slang)
10. A bet (Shakespeare)
11. A share of profit, esp in whaling
12. A field or method of operation, esp in thieving (slang)

layer /lāˈər or lār/ noun

1. A course, bed or stratum
2. Someone who or something which lays, eg a hen, a bricklayer, etc
3. A distinctively coloured space between contour lines on a map
4. A shoot bent down to earth in order to take root

To propagate by layers

1. To put in layers
2. To cut (hair) in layers

To be laid flat, lodge

layˈered adjective

In or with layers

layˈering noun

layˈing noun

1. The first coat of plaster
2. The act or time of laying eggs
3. The eggs laid

layˈabout noun

A lazy, idle person, a loafer

layˈaway noun

1. Goods on which a deposit has been paid, kept for a customer until payment is completed
2. This system of purchasing goods

layˈback noun

In rock climbing, a method of climbing a sharp-edged crack in a horizontal position (also intransitive verb)

layˈ-by noun (pl layˈ-bys)

1. A widened area of a roadway to allow vehicles to draw up out of the stream of traffic
2. (also layˈ-bye) a deposit against future purchase (S Afr)
3. (also layˈ-bye) a system of reserving the right to purchase goods by making a deposit (S Afr)

layˈ-down noun

1. In card games, esp bridge, a hand which cannot fail to take the number of tricks required to win, and which therefore is sometimes exposed to view without any play taking place
2. The contract made by the holder of such a hand

layer cake noun

A cake built up in layers

layˈ-off noun

1. A temporary suspension of work introduced by an employer as an economic measure
2. The act of laying off or period of time during which someone lays off or is laid off

layˈout noun

1. Something which is laid out
2. A display
3. An outfit
4. The disposition, arrangement, plan, esp of buildings or ground
5. The general appearance of a printed page, also called format
6. A set, unit or organization

layˈover noun (chiefly N American)

A break in a journey

layˈshaft noun

An auxiliary geared shaft in a machine, esp the secondary shaft in a car's gearbox

layˈstall noun (obsolete)

A place for depositing dung, rubbish, etc

layˈ-up noun

1. The time or condition of being laid up
2. (in basketball) a shot taken from near the basket, esp one-handed and bouncing off the backboard
3. (in golf) a shot deliberately played short of a hazard or green

lay aboard

To run alongside, esp in order to board

lay about one

To deal blows vigorously or on all sides

lay a course (nautical)

To succeed in sailing to the place required without tacking

lay aside or lay away

1. To discard
2. To put on one side for future use (see also layaway above)

lay at

To try to strike

lay away

1. To lay eggs in out-of-the-way places (Scot, etc)
2. To purchase goods by layaway (qv above)

lay bare

To show clearly, disclose

lay before

To submit (eg plans) to

lay by

1. To keep for future use
2. To dismiss
3. To put off

lay by the heels see under heel¹

lay down

1. To give up
2. To deposit, as a pledge
3. To apply (eg embroidery; archaic)
4. To formulate
5. To assert (a law or rule)
6. To store
7. To plant
8. To record
9. To lay on (printing)

lay hands on see under hand

lay heads together (archaic)

To confer together

lay hold of or on

To seize

lay in

To get in a supply of

lay into

To beat thoroughly

lay it on

1. To charge exorbitantly
2. To do anything, eg to exaggerate or flatter, excessively

lay off

1. To mark off
2. To dismiss temporarily from employment as an economic measure
3. To cease (informal)
4. To doff (archaic)
5. To harangue volubly
6. To hedge (gambling)
7. To pass (the ball) to a teammate who is in a better position (football)

lay of the land (chiefly N American) same as lie of the land (see under lie²)

lay on

1. To install a supply of
2. To provide
3. To deal blows with vigour
4. To arrange made-up pages in the correct order on the imposing surface (also lay down; printing)

lay oneself open to

To make oneself vulnerable to, or exposed to (criticism, etc)

lay oneself out to (archaic)

To make it one's professed object or practice, take great pains, to

lay on hands see under hand

lay on load (Spenser)

To belabour

lay on the table see under table

lay open

1. To make bare, to show or expose
2. To cut open

lay out

1. To display
2. To spend (money)
3. To plan
4. To arrange according to a plan
5. To prepare for burial
6. To knock unconscious
7. To take measures, seek

lay siege to

1. To besiege
2. To importune

lay the table

To put dishes, etc on the table in preparation for a meal

lay to

1. To apply with vigour
2. To bring a ship to rest

lay to heart see under heart

lay under

To subject to

lay up

1. To store up, preserve
2. (usu in passive) to confine to bed or one's room
3. To put in dock for cleaning, repairs, etc or because no longer wanted for or fit for service
4. To play a lay-up shot

lay upon

To wager upon

lay wait

To lie in wait, or in ambush

• crab
• crab-apple
• crab-apples
• crabbed
• crabbedly
• crabbedness
• crabbednesses
• crabber
• crabbers
• crabbier
• crabbiest
• crabbily
• crabbiness
• crabbinesses
• crabbing
• crabbit
• crabby
• crab canon
• crab canons
• crab-eater
• crab-eaters
• crab-faced
• crab grass
• crab grasses
• crab-lice