lay1 /lā/ transitive verb (layˈing; laid)- To cause to lie
- To place or set down
- To beat down
- To spread on a surface
- To spread or set something on
- To cover
- To apply
- To cause to subside
- To exorcize
- To deposit
- To set on the table
- To make (a bet), wager
- To put forward
- To cause to be
- To set
- To produce and deposit
- To station
- To locate
- To put in (a particular) position
- To waylay
- To impose
- To attribute or impute
- To set material in position for making
- To form (a rope, etc) by setting in position and twisting
- To design or plan
- To layer (horticulture)
- To cause (a hedge) to grow more thickly by cutting some of the growth halfway through and pressing it diagonally towards the ground
- To have sexual intercourse with (slang)
- To put below the horizon by sailing away
- To give birth to a child (obsolete)
- To beset (Shakespeare)
intransitive verb- To produce eggs
- To wager or bet
- To deal blows
- To lie (archaic, nautical and non-standard)
noun- A situation, a place for lying
- An oyster-bed
- A way of lying
- A disposition, arrangement or plan
- A layer
- A mode of twisting
- Laying activity
- An act of sexual intercourse (slang)
- A partner, usu female, in sexual intercourse (slang)
- A bet (Shakespeare)
- A share of profit, esp in whaling
- A field or method of operation, esp in thieving (slang)
ORIGIN: OE lecgan to lay, causative of licgan to lie; cf ON leggja, Ger legen layer /lāˈər or lār/ noun - A course, bed or stratum
- Someone who or something which lays, eg a hen, a bricklayer, etc
- A distinctively coloured space between contour lines on a map
- A shoot bent down to earth in order to take root
transitive verb and intransitive verb To propagate by layers transitive verb- To put in layers
- To cut (hair) in layers
intransitive verb To be laid flat, lodge layˈered adjective In or with layers layˈering noun layˈing noun - The first coat of plaster
- The act or time of laying eggs
- The eggs laid
layˈabout noun A lazy, idle person, a loafer layˈaway noun - Goods on which a deposit has been paid, kept for a customer until payment is completed
- 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) - A widened area of a roadway to allow vehicles to draw up out of the stream of traffic
- (also layˈ-bye) a deposit against future purchase (S Afr)
- (also layˈ-bye) a system of reserving the right to purchase goods by making a deposit (S Afr)
layˈ-down noun - 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
- The contract made by the holder of such a hand
layer cake noun A cake built up in layers layˈ-off noun - A temporary suspension of work introduced by an employer as an economic measure
- The act of laying off or period of time during which someone lays off or is laid off
layˈout noun - Something which is laid out
- A display
- An outfit
- The disposition, arrangement, plan, esp of buildings or ground
- The general appearance of a printed page, also called format
- 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 - The time or condition of being laid up
- (in basketball) a shot taken from near the basket, esp one-handed and bouncing off the backboard
- (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 - To discard
- To put on one side for future use (see also layaway above)
lay at To try to strike lay away - To lay eggs in out-of-the-way places (Scot, etc)
- To purchase goods by layaway (qv above)
lay bare To show clearly, disclose lay before To submit (eg plans) to lay by - To keep for future use
- To dismiss
- To put off
lay by the heels see under heel1 lay down - To give up
- To deposit, as a pledge
- To apply (eg embroidery; archaic)
- To formulate
- To assert (a law or rule)
- To store
- To plant
- To record
- 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 - To charge exorbitantly
- To do anything, eg to exaggerate or flatter, excessively
lay off - To mark off
- To dismiss temporarily from employment as an economic measure
- To cease (informal)
- To doff (archaic)
- To harangue volubly
- To hedge (gambling)
- 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 - To install a supply of
- To provide
- To deal blows with vigour
- 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 - To make bare, to show or expose
- To cut open
lay out - To display
- To spend (money)
- To plan
- To arrange according to a plan
- To prepare for burial
- To knock unconscious
- To take measures, seek
lay siege to - To besiege
- To importune
lay the table To put dishes, etc on the table in preparation for a meal lay to - To apply with vigour
- To bring a ship to rest
lay to heart see under heart lay under To subject to lay up - To store up, preserve
- (usu in passive) to confine to bed or one's room
- To put in dock for cleaning, repairs, etc or because no longer wanted for or fit for service
- To play a lay-up shot
lay upon To wager upon lay wait To lie in wait, or in ambush lay waste To devastate on a lay On shares instead of wages table /tāˈbl/ noun- An article of furniture consisting of a flat top on legs, a pillar or trestles, for use at meals, work, play, for holding things, etc (often in combination, as in worktable, gaming-table, etc)
- A flat surface, such as a plateau
- A slab or board
- A layer
- A compact scheme of numerical information, words, facts, etc, usu in columns
- (in pl) a collection of these for reference
- A syllabus or index
- A condensed statement
- A slab with or for an inscription
- A slab inscribed with laws
- (in pl) a code of law (eg the Twelve Tables of ancient Rome)
- A writing tablet (esp in the obsolete phrase a pair of tables)
- Supply of food, entertainment
- The company at a table
- The soundboard of a violin, guitar or similar instrument
- A string-course (architecture)
- A panel
- A board for painting on
- A picture
- A broad flat surface on a cut gem
- A tabular crystal
- A board for a game, eg chess
- Each half of a folding board
- (in pl) a backgammon board, or the game itself (obsolete)
- A quadrangular space on the palm of the hand (Shakespeare)
- A flat gravestone supported on pillars
- A board or committee
- A dispensing of the communion
- A projecting part of a scarfed joint
adjective Of, for, like or relating to a table or meals transitive verb- To put forward (a bill, order, proposal, etc) for discussion in parliament or some formal meeting
- To postpone discussion of (a bill, etc) for some time or indefinitely (N American)
- To tabulate
- To lay on the table
- To pay down
- To board
intransitive verb To board ORIGIN: Partly OE tabule, tabele, partly OFr (and Fr) table, both from L tabula a board tabled /tāˈbld/ adjective - Flat-topped
- Having a smooth sloping surface of dressed stone
- Having a table or tables
taˈbleful noun As much as a table will hold taˈblewise adjective and adverb - In the form or in the manner of a table
- (of the communion table) not altarwise
taˈbling noun - Tabulation
- The presenting of a bill, order, proposal, etc for discussion
- Playing at tables or backgammon
- Board
- Provision of tables
- Scarfing
- A broad hem on the skirt of a sail to reinforce it
table beer noun Light beer for common use table book noun - A book of writing tablets, memorandum book or notebook
- An ornamental book intended to lie on a table
- A book of tables
taˈblecloth noun A cloth for covering a table, esp at meals table cover noun A cloth for covering a table, esp at other than meal-times taˈble-cut adjective (of gems) cut with a flat top taˈble-dancer noun A striptease dancer who performs on a table in front of individual clients at a club taˈble-dancing noun table d'hôte /tä-bl’-dōt/ noun (pl tables d'hôte /tä-bl’-dōt/) (Fr, host's table) a meal at a fixed price (as at a hotel) adjective (of a meal) charged at a fixed price table football noun A version of football played on a table with small metal, etc players usu suspended on rods, which are turned and spun to strike the ball table game noun A board game table knife noun A knife for cutting one's meat, etc with at the table taˈbleland noun - An extensive region of elevated land with a flat or undulating surface
- A plateau
table leaf noun An extension to a table top, hinged, drawn out or inserted table licence noun A licence to serve alcoholic drinks with meals only table linen noun Linen tablecloths, napkins, etc table maid noun A woman who sets the table and waits table manners plural noun Social behaviour at the table during meals table mat noun A mat placed under dishes on a table table money noun - An allowance (esp in the services) for official entertainment
- A restaurateur's euphemism for cover-charge
table music noun Music in parts that can be read by performers at each side of a table table napkin noun A cloth (or paper substitute) used during a meal to protect the clothes and to wipe fingers and lips taˈble-rapping noun Knocking or tapping sounds on a table, attributed by spiritualists to the spirits of the dead attempting to communicate with the living table salt noun Fine salt suitable for adding as a seasoning to food table skittles singular noun A game in which a suspended ball is swung to knock down pegs set up on a board taˈblespoon noun One of the largest spoons used for measuring and serving food taˈblespoonful noun (pl taˈblespoonfuls) As much as will fill a tablespoon taˈble-sport noun (Shakespeare) The butt of the company at table table talk noun Familiar conversation, as at the table, during and after meals table tennis noun A game like lawn tennis played on a table using hollow balls of Celluloid or similar light material table top noun - The top of a table
- A flat top
- A piece of equipment small or portable enough to be used on a table, desk, etc
taˈble-topped adjective taˈble-turning noun - Movements of tables (or other objects) attributed by spiritualists to the agency of spirits, and by the sceptical to collective involuntary muscular action
- The practice of turning tables (see turn the tables below)
taˈbleware noun Dishes, spoons, knives, forks, etc for table use table water noun A mineral water suitable for drinking with a meal table wine noun An ordinary wine usu drunk with a meal taˈble-work noun (printing) The setting of type for tables, columns of figures, etc at table At a meal fence the tables see under fence lay on the table To table (a bill, etc; see vt above) Lord's table see under lord turn the tables To bring about a complete reversal of circumstances, from the idea of players at backgammon changing sides under the table - Not above-board, illicit
- Hopelessly drunk (informal)
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