lay
/leɪ/
verb
- To put something down gently or carefully in a flat position.
- She laid the baby gently in the crib.
- Please lay the book on the table.
- He laid the blanket on the grass for the picnic.
- To produce an egg from the body.
- The hen lays an egg almost every day.
- Some birds lay only one egg per year.
- Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach at night.
- To arrange or set something in a particular position or order.
- She laid the table with plates and glasses for dinner.
- They are laying the tiles in the bathroom.
- The workers laid the bricks to build the wall.
- To place something such as a bet, claim, or blame on someone or something.
- The police laid the blame for the accident on the driver.
- She laid claim to the inheritance.
- He laid a bet on the horse race.
- To present or put forward something formally, such as a plan or proposal.
- The manager laid the new rules before the team.
- The committee laid out the budget for next year.
- They laid their case before the judge.
adjective
- Not belonging to or trained in a particular profession, especially the clergy or medicine.
- The hospital has a lay board of directors.
- He is a lay preacher who speaks at local churches.
- The book is written for a lay audience, not for doctors.
- Not having expert or specialized knowledge of a subject.
- The scientist gave a talk for lay people.
- In lay terms, the engine needs a new filter.
- The lawyer explained the contract in lay language.
Synonyms
Antonyms
noun
- The general appearance or arrangement of something, especially land or a scene.
- We studied the lay of the land before building the house.
- The lay of the coastline made it difficult to dock the boat.
- He quickly understood the lay of the office politics.
- A short narrative poem or song, especially a medieval one.
- The book contains a collection of ancient lays.
- She recited an old Scottish lay at the festival.
- The bard sang a lay about the hero's journey.