26984 words

laying

27 definitions • 35 examples
1
to put something in especially a flat or horizontal position, usually carefully or for a particular purpose:

Examples:

She laid the baby on the bed.
He laid the tray down on the table.
lay aside She laid aside her book and went to answer the phone.
We're having a new carpet laid in the hall next week.
The plan is to lay (= build) the foundations for the new apartments in October.
2
to prepare a plan or a method of doing something:

Examples:

best laid plans Even the best laid plans go wrong sometimes.
3
4
to lie somewhere. This use is generally considered to not be correct:

Examples:

"I was so tired that at one point, I was laying down on the floor," he said.
My dog just lays there all day in the sun.
5
(of an animal or bird) to produce eggs from out of the body:

Examples:

Thousands of turtles drag themselves onto the beach and lay their eggs in the sand.
6
to have sex with someone:

Examples:

get laid So did you get laid (= find someone to have sex with)?
7
to risk something, usually money, on the result of an event:

Examples:

lay something on something She won't get the job - I'd lay money on it!
8
to express a claim, legal statement, etc. in a serious or official way:

Examples:

lay the blame on She can't accept she made a mistake and now she's trying to lay the blame on (= accuse) her assistant.
lay a charge against Do you understand the seriousness of the charge (= legal accusation) that has been laid against you?
9
to say that you own something:

Examples:

Two companies have laid claim to the design.
10
not trained in or not having a detailed knowledge of a particular subject:
11
having a position in a religious organization that is not a full-time job and is not paid:

Examples:

12
used to describe how good someone is at sex, or how often they have sex:

Examples:

good lay She's a good lay (= sex with her is enjoyable).
easy lay She got a reputation as an easy lay (= she was thought to have slept with a lot of people).
13
to put something down, esp. into a flat or horizontal position:

Examples:

He laid his coat on a chair.
She laid the baby (down) in her crib.
14
To lay is also to put down in a careful or systematic way for a particular purpose:

Examples:

We’re having a new carpet laid in the hall next week.
15
to prepare something:

Examples:

The initial negotiations laid the groundwork for more detailed talks later on.
16
(of an animal or bird) to produce eggs from out of its body
17
to risk something on the result of an event:

Examples:

I’ll lay odds (= risk money) that she won’t show up.
18
to put or express:

Examples:

He laid emphasis on the fact that he had never been found guilty of a crime.
She’s trying to lay the blame on someone else (= blame someone else).
19
not trained in or not having a detailed knowledge of a particular subject:

Examples:

To a lay audience, the mathematics would be difficult.
20
21
to put something onto a surface or under the ground in a horizontal position:

Examples:

They prepared the ground, then laid concrete.
22
to prepare for doing something or to make it possible for something to happen in the future:

Examples:

lay the basis/foundation/groundwork for sth Perhaps more than anyone, he laid the groundwork for today's digital revolution.
23
to bet (= risk) something on the result of an event:

Examples:

lay odds/a wager I'll lay odds that she won't take the job.
24
to say that someone or something is responsible for something bad that happened:

Examples:

You can't lay blame on the government for all your troubles.
When projects go wrong, everyone looks for somewhere to lay the blame.
25
to say that you own something or have a right to it:

Examples:

Through a series of buyouts, we laid claim to the best intellectual property of our time.
26
to make something that does not work well or that fails:

Examples:

They laid an egg by putting last decade's technology in that phone.
27
not expert in or not having a detailed knowledge of a particular subject:

Examples:

lay person/audience/reader Gadget reviews work best when they use less technical jargon for the lay audience.

Navigation