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To position or place something in a particular place or spot
“Lay a whisper on my pillow. Leave the winter on the ground.”
To put or apply as a layer or coating
“Mix and lay some cement at the bottom of each hole.”
To present or put forward
“It may otherwise generally regulate its own procedure, but it must lay a report before Parliament.”
To prepare or plan in advance
“The object of the convention was to lay plans for securing the rights of suffrage.”
To stake (an amount of money) in a bet
“I'll lay ten dollars on the home team winning.”
To inflict or impose, especially a charge or penalty
“I should contemplate, with great reluctance, the proposition to lay additional taxes on railroads.”
To set up or put in place
“These efforts foster goodwill and help lay the groundwork for subsequent collaborations.”
To assign responsibility or attribution to
“Too often, and increasingly, we've found it convenient to lay the task of raising the nation's children on our schools.”
To assign culpability for
“I suppose I should not lay too much blame at the feet of my ex-wife.”
To bury in a grave
“I beg you to take us there, that we may lay his body to rest so that his spirit may fly to Yarshilla and be at one with her.”
To lay eggs
“For example, turtles lay their eggs within hours in beach sand and then leave them.”
To engage in amorous relations
(of an abstract quality) To assign to someone or something
(of a material) To stretch or open out
To cause (something unpleasant or painful) to be suffered by someone or something
To prepare oneself
Lay something to rest in or on
To state under oath, to plead
To express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something
To move something to a lower level
To seize and hold firmly
(of suspended particles) To sink slowly in a liquid to form sediment
To focus on, usually of one's vision or thoughts
To spend or invest (a lot of) money
To make or give a flat and even surface to
Mention as an example
To strike (someone) so as to make them fall down
Lean or turn away from a given plane or direction, especially the vertical or horizontal
A structured arrangement of items within certain limits
“Wolff studied the lay of the land, the roads, the villages, the forest areas, and many other physical features offered by the surrounding area.”
A musical or lyrical composition
“This movement imagines Ophelia at the point of drowning, as she sings her musical lay and enters the water.”
A job or profession
A religious song or poem of praise to God or a god
A kind of narrative poem, typically adapted for recitation or singing
A warbling sound or utterance
A long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition
General status
Bung or place
Shag or rogering
A house or building, together with its land and outbuildings, occupied by a business or considered in an official context
An illegal or dishonest scheme for obtaining money
Not having professional qualifications or expert knowledge, especially in law or medicine
“Imbalances in knowledge between lay people and professionals make it difficult for lay people to assess a person's ability and competence.”
Not ordained into or belonging to the clergy
“In the colonies, the lay vestry emerged to help with the management of church resources and property.”
(of cultural activities or products) Designed with the intention to suit the taste of the general public rather than specialists or intellectuals
Untechnical
Done in an inept or unskilful way
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