lay
lay aside
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you lay something aside, you put it down, usually because you have finished using it or want to save it to use later.
He finished the tea and laid the cup aside...
This allowed Ms. Kelley to lay aside money to start her business.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you lay aside a feeling or belief, you reject it or give it up in order to progress with something.
Perhaps the opposed parties will lay aside their sectional interests and rise to this challenge...
= put asidelay down
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you lay something down, you put it down, usually because you have finished using it.
Daniel finished the article and laid the newspaper down on his desk...
She laid down her knife and fork and pushed her plate away.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If rules or people in authority lay down what people should do or must do, they officially state what they should or must do.
Taxis must conform to the rigorous standards laid down by the police.
= set down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If someone lays down their weapons, they stop fighting a battle or war and make peace.
The drug-traffickers have offered to lay down their arms.lay in
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you lay in an amount of something, you buy it and store it to be used later.
They began to lay in extensive stores of food supplies.lay off
[PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If workers are laid off, they are told by their employers to leave their job, usually because there is no more work for them to do. (BUSINESS)
100,000 federal workers will be laid off to reduce the deficit...
They did not sell a single car for a month and had to lay off workers.
see also layofflay on
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you lay on something such as food, entertainment, or a service, you provide or supply it, especially in a generous or grand way. (mainly BRIT)
They laid on a superb evening...lay out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you lay out a group of things, you spread them out and arrange them neatly, for example so that they can all be seen clearly.
Grace laid out the knives and forks at the lunch-table...
She took a deck of cards and began to lay them out.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
To lay out ideas, principles, or plans means to explain or present them clearly, for example in a document or a meeting.
Maxwell listened closely as Johnson laid out his plan...
Cuomo laid it out in simple language.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
To lay out an area of land or a building means to plan and design how its different parts should be arranged.
When we laid out the car parks, we reckoned on one car per four families...
Only people that use a kitchen all the time understand the best way to lay it out.
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you lay out money on something, you spend a large amount of money on it. (INFORMAL)
You won't have to lay out a fortune for this dining table.
= fork out, shell out
5
see also layoutlay per|son (lay personsor lay people)
also layperson
[N-COUNT]
A lay person is a person who is not trained, qualified, or experienced in a particular subject or activity.
≠ expertlay up
[PHRASAL VERB] usu passive, be V-ed P with n, be V-ed P
If someone is laid up with an illness, the illness makes it necessary for them to stay in bed. (INFORMAL)
I was laid up in bed with acute rheumatism...
Powell ruptured a disc in his back and was laid up for a year.♦♦ lay1 /l'eɪ/ (lay lays laying laid) VERB AND NOUN USES
In standard English, the form lay is also the past tense of the verb lie in some meanings. In informal English, people sometimes use the word lay instead of lie in those meanings.
Please look at category 9 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv
If you lay something somewhere, you put it there in a careful, gentle, or neat way.
Lay a sheet of newspaper on the floor...
My father's working bench was covered with a cloth and his coffin was laid there...
Mothers routinely lay babies on their backs to sleep.
2 [VERB] V n
If you lay the table or lay the places at a table, you arrange the knives, forks, and other things that people need on the table before a meal. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use set)
The butler always laid the table.
3 [VERB] V n, V n
If you lay something such as carpets, cables, or foundations, you put them into their permanent position.
A man came to lay the saloon carpet...
Public utilities dig up roads to lay pipes.
4 [VERB] V n
To lay a trap means to prepare it in order to catch someone or something.
They were laying a trap for the kidnapper.
5 [VERB] V n, V
When a female bird lays an egg, it produces an egg by pushing it out of its body.
My canary has laid an egg...
Freezing weather in spring hampered the hens' ability to lay.
6 [VERB] V n, V n
Lay is used with some nouns to talk about making official preparations for something. For example, if you lay the basis for something or lay plans for it, you prepare it carefully.
Diplomats meeting in Chile have laid the groundwork for far-reaching environmental regulations...
The organisers meet in March to lay plans.
7 [VERB] V n prep, V n
Lay is used with some nouns in expressions about accusing or blaming someone. For example, if you lay the blame for a mistake on someone, you say it is their fault, or if the police lay charges against someone, they officially accuse that person of a crime.
She refused to lay the blame on any one party...
Police have decided not to lay charges over allegations of a telephone tapping operation.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects, PHR n
If you lay yourself open to criticism or attack, or if something lays you open to it, something you do makes it possible or likely that other people will criticize or attack you.
The party thereby lays itself open to charges of conflict of interest...
Such a statement could lay her open to ridicule.
9
to lay something bare: see bare
to lay claim to something: see claim
to lay something at someone's door: see door
to lay eyes on something: see eye
to lay a finger on someone: see finger
to lay your hands on something: see hand
to lay down the law: see law
to lay down your life: see life
to lay something to rest: see rest
to lay siege to something: see siegelay2 /l'eɪ/ (lay) ADJECTIVE USES
1 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use lay to describe people who are involved with a Christian church but are not members of the clergy or are not monks or nuns.
Edwards is a Methodist lay preacher and social worker.
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use lay to describe people who are not experts or professionals in a particular subject or activity.
It is difficult for a lay person to gain access to medical libraries...
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you lay something aside, you put it down, usually because you have finished using it or want to save it to use later.
He finished the tea and laid the cup aside...
This allowed Ms. Kelley to lay aside money to start her business.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you lay aside a feeling or belief, you reject it or give it up in order to progress with something.
Perhaps the opposed parties will lay aside their sectional interests and rise to this challenge...
= put asidelay down
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you lay something down, you put it down, usually because you have finished using it.
Daniel finished the article and laid the newspaper down on his desk...
She laid down her knife and fork and pushed her plate away.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If rules or people in authority lay down what people should do or must do, they officially state what they should or must do.
Taxis must conform to the rigorous standards laid down by the police.
= set down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If someone lays down their weapons, they stop fighting a battle or war and make peace.
The drug-traffickers have offered to lay down their arms.lay in
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you lay in an amount of something, you buy it and store it to be used later.
They began to lay in extensive stores of food supplies.lay off
[PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If workers are laid off, they are told by their employers to leave their job, usually because there is no more work for them to do. (BUSINESS)
100,000 federal workers will be laid off to reduce the deficit...
They did not sell a single car for a month and had to lay off workers.
see also layofflay on
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you lay on something such as food, entertainment, or a service, you provide or supply it, especially in a generous or grand way. (mainly BRIT)
They laid on a superb evening...lay out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you lay out a group of things, you spread them out and arrange them neatly, for example so that they can all be seen clearly.
Grace laid out the knives and forks at the lunch-table...
She took a deck of cards and began to lay them out.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
To lay out ideas, principles, or plans means to explain or present them clearly, for example in a document or a meeting.
Maxwell listened closely as Johnson laid out his plan...
Cuomo laid it out in simple language.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
To lay out an area of land or a building means to plan and design how its different parts should be arranged.
When we laid out the car parks, we reckoned on one car per four families...
Only people that use a kitchen all the time understand the best way to lay it out.
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you lay out money on something, you spend a large amount of money on it. (INFORMAL)
You won't have to lay out a fortune for this dining table.
= fork out, shell out
5
see also layoutlay per|son (lay personsor lay people)
also layperson
[N-COUNT]
A lay person is a person who is not trained, qualified, or experienced in a particular subject or activity.
≠ expertlay up
[PHRASAL VERB] usu passive, be V-ed P with n, be V-ed P
If someone is laid up with an illness, the illness makes it necessary for them to stay in bed. (INFORMAL)
I was laid up in bed with acute rheumatism...
Powell ruptured a disc in his back and was laid up for a year.♦♦ lay1 /l'eɪ/ (lay lays laying laid) VERB AND NOUN USES
In standard English, the form lay is also the past tense of the verb lie in some meanings. In informal English, people sometimes use the word lay instead of lie in those meanings.
Please look at category 9 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv
If you lay something somewhere, you put it there in a careful, gentle, or neat way.
Lay a sheet of newspaper on the floor...
My father's working bench was covered with a cloth and his coffin was laid there...
Mothers routinely lay babies on their backs to sleep.
2 [VERB] V n
If you lay the table or lay the places at a table, you arrange the knives, forks, and other things that people need on the table before a meal. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use set)
The butler always laid the table.
3 [VERB] V n, V n
If you lay something such as carpets, cables, or foundations, you put them into their permanent position.
A man came to lay the saloon carpet...
Public utilities dig up roads to lay pipes.
4 [VERB] V n
To lay a trap means to prepare it in order to catch someone or something.
They were laying a trap for the kidnapper.
5 [VERB] V n, V
When a female bird lays an egg, it produces an egg by pushing it out of its body.
My canary has laid an egg...
Freezing weather in spring hampered the hens' ability to lay.
6 [VERB] V n, V n
Lay is used with some nouns to talk about making official preparations for something. For example, if you lay the basis for something or lay plans for it, you prepare it carefully.
Diplomats meeting in Chile have laid the groundwork for far-reaching environmental regulations...
The organisers meet in March to lay plans.
7 [VERB] V n prep, V n
Lay is used with some nouns in expressions about accusing or blaming someone. For example, if you lay the blame for a mistake on someone, you say it is their fault, or if the police lay charges against someone, they officially accuse that person of a crime.
She refused to lay the blame on any one party...
Police have decided not to lay charges over allegations of a telephone tapping operation.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects, PHR n
If you lay yourself open to criticism or attack, or if something lays you open to it, something you do makes it possible or likely that other people will criticize or attack you.
The party thereby lays itself open to charges of conflict of interest...
Such a statement could lay her open to ridicule.
9
to lay something bare: see bare
to lay claim to something: see claim
to lay something at someone's door: see door
to lay eyes on something: see eye
to lay a finger on someone: see finger
to lay your hands on something: see hand
to lay down the law: see law
to lay down your life: see life
to lay something to rest: see rest
to lay siege to something: see siegelay2 /l'eɪ/ (lay) ADJECTIVE USES
1 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use lay to describe people who are involved with a Christian church but are not members of the clergy or are not monks or nuns.
Edwards is a Methodist lay preacher and social worker.
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use lay to describe people who are not experts or professionals in a particular subject or activity.
It is difficult for a lay person to gain access to medical libraries...