lie¹ /lī/

1. A false statement made with the intention of deceiving
2. Anything misleading or of the nature of imposture
3. (with the) an accusation of lying

1. To make a false statement with the intention to deceive
2. To give a false impression

—Also (Scot) lee /lē/, often referring to an unintentional false statement

līˈar noun

A person who lies, esp habitually

lyˈing adjective

Addicted to telling lies

The habit of telling lies

lyˈingly adverb

lie detector noun

An instrument claimed to detect lying by recording abnormal involuntary bodily reactions in a person not telling the truth

give someone the lie (archaic, in his or her throat)

To accuse someone directly of lying

give the lie to

1. To accuse of lying
2. To prove false

lie in one's throat or through one's teeth (usu facetious)

To lie shamelessly

white lie

A minor falsehood, esp one uttered for reasons of tact, etc

lie² /lī/

1. To be in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position
2. To assume such a position
3. To lean
4. To press
5. To be situated
6. To have a position or extent
7. To remain
8. To be or remain passively
9. To abide
10. To be still
11. To be incumbent
12. To depend
13. To consist
14. To be sustainable (law)
15. To be imprisoned (Shakespeare)
16. To lodge, pass the night (archaic)

1. Mode or direction of lying
2. Slope and disposition
3. Relative position
4. General situation
5. A spell of lying
6. An animal's lair or resting place
7. A position from which a golf ball is to be played
8. A layer (archaic or dialect)
9. A railway siding

līˈer noun

lieˈ-abedˈ noun

Someone who lies late in bed (also adjective)

lie-down see lie down below.

lieˈ-inˈ noun

A longer than usual stay in bed in the morning

lyˈing-inˈ noun (pl lyˈings-inˈ)

Confinement during childbirth

lying-in hospital or lying-in ward noun (old)

A maternity hospital or ward

lie along (archaic)

To be extended at full length

lie at someone's door

(of something untoward) to be directly attributable to someone

lie at someone's heart (archaic)

To be an object of interest or affection to someone

lie back

1. To lean back on a support
2. To rest after a period of hard work

lie by

1. To be inactive
2. To keep out of the way
3. To lie to (nautical)

lie by the heels (archaic)

To be in prison

lie down

To place oneself in a horizontal position, esp in order to sleep or rest (lieˈ-downˈ noun)

lie hard or heavy on, upon or to

To oppress, burden

lie in

1. To stay in bed later than usual
2. To be in the state of giving birth to a child (old)

lie in one

To be in one's power

lie in the way

1. To be ready, at hand
2. To be an obstacle

lie in wait

To lie in ambush (often with for)

lie low

1. To keep quiet or hidden
2. To conceal one's actions or intentions

lie of the land (figurative)

The current situation

lie on or upon

To be incumbent on

lie on one's hands

To remain unwanted, unclaimed or unused

lie on one's oars see under oar

lie out of

To remain without the good of, without payment of

lie over

To be deferred to a future occasion

lie to (nautical)

To be or become nearly stationary with head to the wind

lie under

To be subject to or oppressed by

lie up

1. To abstain from work
2. To take to or remain in bed
3. (of a ship) to go into or be in dock

lie with

1. To rest with as a choice, duty, etc
2. To have sexual intercourse with (Bible or archaic)
3. To lodge or sleep with (archaic)

take it lying down (informal)

To endure without resistance or protest

• melled
• melliferous
• mellification
• mellifications
• mellifluence
• mellifluences
• mellifluent
• mellifluently
• mellifluous
• mellifluously
• mellifluousness
• melling
• mellite
• febricules
• febrifacient
• febrific
• febrifugal
• febrifuge
• febrifuges
• febrile
• febrilities
• febrility
• Febronianism
• February
• fec.