ay
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USAGE Do not confuse lay [T] (laid, laid) with lie [I] (lay, lain): He laid his trousers on the bed. | He lay on the bed. A third verb lie [I] (lied, lied) means 'to tell a lie'.
lay about sbdy. phr v [T] BrE 1 to attack wildly: He laid about his attackers with a club. 2 lay about one old use to hit wildly in all directions: She laid about her until her assailants ran off.
lay sthg. ⇔ aside phr v [T] 1 to store for future use: She'd managed to lay aside a few pounds out of her wages each week. 2 to stop using, doing, or preparing for a time: We've had to lay aside our plans for expansion.
lay sthg. ⇔ away phr v [T] AmE to buy something, with the seller agreeing to hold it for a small amount of money and deliver it when the full amount is paid: Only $10 will lay away a new electric blanket for those cold winter nights! → see also LAYAWAY
lay sthg. ⇔ down phr v [T] 1 to put down (tools, weapons etc) as a sign that one will not use them: Lay down your guns and come out with your hands up! 2 [(for)] to lose or stop having willingly in order to help others: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. (the Bible) 3 to start the building or making of: The foundations of the building were laid down in 1959. 4 [often pass.] to declare or state firmly or officially: [+that] It's laid down in the regulations. | The regulations lay down that members must always sign guests in. 5 to store (especially wine) for future use 6 lay down the law to give an opinion or order in an unpleasant commanding manner
lay sthg. ⇔ in phr v [T] to obtain and store (a supply of): We laid in (a good supply of) candles in case there was a power cut.
lay into sbdy. phr v [T] to attack physically or with words: The boxer really laid into his opponent. | (fig.) You should have seen her laying into that cake!
lay off phr v 1 [T][lay sbdy. ⇔ off)] to stop employing (a worker), especially for a period in which there is little work: During the recession they laid us off for three months. → see also LAY-OFF 2 [I;T(= lay off sthg.)] infml to stop (doing, having, using etc): You'd better lay off (alcohol) for a while. | [+v-ing] Lay off hitting me!
lay on phr v [T] 1 especially BrE (lay sthg. ⇔ on) to supply or provide, especially generously: The organizers laid on a huge meal for us. | They've laid on a car to meet us at the airport. 2 (lay sthg. on sbdy.) to cause to have (a serious responsibility) on: That's rather a lot to lay on one person. 3 lay it on (a bit thick/with a trowel) infml a) to tell something in a way that goes beyond the truth b) to praise or admire something too greatly, especially in order to please
lay sthg. ⇔ open phr v 1 to uncover or make known 2 to cut; wound: The blow laid his head open.
lay sbdy./sthg. out phr v [T] 1 to spread out: She laid out the map on the table. 2 to arrange or plan (a building, town, garden etc): The garden is laid out in a formal pattern. → see also LAYOUT 3 to arrange (a dead body) in preparation for burial 4 to knock (a person) down, especially making them unconscious: I laid him out with a blow to the head. 5 [(on, for)] infml to spend (money, especially a large amount): She laid out £600 on a new carpet. → see also OUTLAY
lay over phr v [I] AmE for STOP over
lay to phr v [I;T(= lay sthg. to)] to stop or cause (a ship) to stop moving → compare LAY UP, LIE TO
lay sbdy./sthg. ⇔ up phr v [T] 1 to collect and store for future use: to lay up food for the winter | (fig.) to lay up problems for the future 2 to keep indoors or in bed with an illness: I've been laid up for a week with my bad back. 3 to stop using (a boat) for a time, especially so that it can be repaired → compare LAY TO
lay³ adj [A] 1 a) of, done by, or being people who are not in official positions within a religion: a lay preacher b) not holding an official position in an organization: lay members of the union 2 not trained in or having knowledge of a particular profession or subject, such as law or medicine: To the lay mind, these technical terms are incomprehensible. → see also LAITY, LAYMAN
lay⁴ n 1 taboo slang (someone, especially a woman, considered for their part in) the sexual act: She's a great lay! 2 lay of the land especially AmE for lie of the land (LIE)
lay⁵ n 1 a short poem that tells a story and is meant to be sung, especially one written in former times 2 poet a song
lay-a-bout /'leɪəbat/ n BrE infml a lazy person who avoids work, responsibility etc
lay-a-way /'leɪəweɪ/ n, adj [U] AmE a method of buying in goods which are held by the seller for a small amount of money until the full price is paid: a layaway plan | a stove bought on layaway
'lay,brother, lay sister fem. — n someone who belongs to but is not a full priestly member of a religious group, and who is employed mostly in general work in the kitchen or garden of a religious house
'lay-by n pl. -bys BrE a space next to a road where vehicles can park out of the way of traffic
lay-er¹ /'leɪə/ n 1 [(of)] a thickness of some substance, often one of many: These seeds must be covered with a layer of earth. | There's a thin layer of coal between the two layers of rock. | She's wearing several layers of clothing to keep out the cold. | (fig.) trying to penetrate the layers of bureaucracy 2 (usually in comb.) a person or thing that lays something: a carpet layer → see also BRICKLAYER, PLATELAYER 3 a bird, especially a hen, that lays eggs: a good layer 4 tech a plant stem that has been fastened partly under the ground, in order to grow roots and so become a separate plant 5 -layered /leɪədl-ɔːd/ having the stated number of thicknesses: many-layered
layer² v 1 [T] to make a layer of; put down in layers: This dish is made of potatoes layered with cheese. 2 [T] to cut (hair) in layers rather than all to the same length 3 [T] tech to fasten (a plant stem) down and cover it with earth 4 [I] tech (of a plant) to form roots where a stem meets the soil
lay-ette /leɪ'et/ n a complete set of clothes and other things needed for a newborn baby
'lay,figure n a figure of the human body, usually wooden, with movable limbs, used as a model when painting or drawing
,laying on of 'hands n [the] the act of putting hands on a person's (or animal's) body to cure illness, especially with help from God. It is practised mostly by EVANGELICAL and FUNDAMENTALIST Christians. → see also speak in tongues (SPEAK)
lay-man /'leɪmən/ also layperson, laywoman fem. — n pl. -men /-mən/ 1 a person who is not trained in a particular subject or type of work, especially as compared with those who are: These technical terms are difficult for the layman to understand. | the gross domestic product, or, in layman's language/terms, the amount of goods produced by a country 2 a person who is not a priest in a religion
'lay-off n the stopping of a worker's employment at a time when there is little work: There have been a lot of lay-offs in the shipbuilding industry recently. → see also LAY OFF
lay-out /'leɪaʊt/ n 1 the way in which something large with many parts is arranged, such as a town, garden, building etc, especially as shown in a drawing: In the new layout for the conference hall, the platform is to be placed at the western end. | The robbers studied the layout of the bank. 2 the way in which printed matter is set out on paper: The book designer will have to re-do the page layouts. → see also LAY OUT
lay-o-ver /'leɪəʊvə/ n AmE STOPOVER: I've got a two-hour layover in Pittsburgh before flying on to Chicago. → see also LAY OVER
lay-per-son /'leɪ,pɜːsən||-ɜːr/ n pl. laypersons or laypeople /-ˌpiːpəl/ a LAYMAN or LAYWOMAN
'lay,reader n in certain Christian churches, a person who is not a priest but who may lead religious services and PREACH (=give the message of God)
'lay,sister n → see LAY BROTHER
'lay-up n (in BASKETBALL) a throw at the basket which takes place near the basket: Bird drops a lay-up into the net.
lay-wom-an /'leɪ,wʊmən/ n pl. -women /ˌwɪmɪn/ → see LAYMAN
Laz-a-rus /'læzərəs/ a friend of Jesus whose story is told in the Bible. When he died, Jesus brought him back to life.