释义 |
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 lay3 /lā/ adjective- Of or relating to people who are not members of the clergy
- Non-professional
- Not trumps (cards)
noun- The laity
- A layman (obsolete)
ORIGIN: OFr lai, from L lāicus, from Gr lāikos, from lāos the people laic /lāˈik/ adjective Lay noun A layman lāˈical adjective lāicˈity noun - The state of being lay
- The nature of the laity
- The influence of the laity
lāicizāˈtion or lāicisāˈtion noun laicize or laicise /lāˈi-sīz/ transitive verb - To make laical
- To open to the laity
lāˈity noun - The people as distinguished from some particular profession, usu the clerical
- (usu with cap) specif one of the three divisions within the General Synod of the Church of England, the others being the Bishops and the Clergy
lay baptism noun Baptism administered by a layman lay brother or lay sister noun A person under vows of celibacy and obedience, who serves a religious house, but is exempt from the studies and choir duties of monks or nuns lay clerk noun A singer in the choir of an Anglican cathedral, etc lay communion noun The state of being in the communion of the church as a layman layˈman noun - One of the laity
- A non-professional person
- Someone who is not an expert
layˈperson noun lay reader noun (in some branches of the Anglican communion) a man or woman who is not ordained but is licensed by a bishop to undertake a range of ecclesiastical duties lay sister see lay brother above. lay vicar noun A layman who is vicar-choral in an Anglican cathedral layˈwoman noun lay4 /lā/ noun- A short narrative poem
- A lyric
- A song
ORIGIN: OFr lai; origin obscure lay5 /lā/ (archaic) noun- Law
- Religious faith
ORIGIN: OFr lei (Fr loi), from L lēx, lēgis law lay6 /lā/ noun a form of lea1,2,3 lea3 /lē/, lay or ley /lā/ noun A measure of yarn, 80 yards of worsted, 120 of cotton, 300 of linen ORIGIN: Perh connected with Fr lier, from L ligāre to bind |