LAY, pret. of lie. The estate lay in the county of Hartford.

Pertaining to the laity or people, as distinct from the clergy; not clerical; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.

1. That which lies or is laid; a row; a stratum; a layer; one rank in a series reckoned upward; as, a lay of wood. A viol should have a lay of wire-strings below. – Bacon.
2. A bet; a wager. [Little used.] – Graunt.
3. Station; rank. [Not used.]

A meadow; a plain or plat of grass land. A tuft of daisies on a flowery lay. – Dryden. The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea. – Gray.

A song; as, a loud or soft lay; immortal lays. – Spenser. Milton. [It is used chiefly in poetry.]

The estate lay in the county of Hartford. When Ahab heard these words, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his bead, and fasted and lay in sackcloth. 1 Kings xxi.

1. To bring or produce eggs. Hens will greedily eat the herb that will make them lay the better. – Mortimer.
2. To contrive; to form a scheme. [Unusual.] To lay about, to strike or throw the arms on all sides; to act with vigor. – Spenser. South. To lay at, to strike or to endeavor to strike. The sword of him that layeth at him can not hold. Job. xii. To lay in for, to make overtures for; to engage or secure the possession of. I have laid in for these. – Dryden. To lay on, to strike; to beat; to deal blows incessantly and with vehemence. #2. To act with vehemence; used of expenses. Shak. To lay out, to purpose; to intend. He lays out to make a journey. #2. To take measures. I made strict enquiry wherever I came, and laid out for intelligence of all places. – Woodward. To lay upon, to importune. [Obs.]

1. Literally, to throw down; hence, to put or place; applied to things broad or long, and in this respect differing from set. We lay a book on the table, when we place it on its side, but we set it on the end. We lay the foundation of a house, but we set a building on its foundation. He laid his robe from Him. – Jonah iii. Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid. – Illinois. A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den. – Dan. vi.
2. To beat down; to prostrate. Violent winds with rain lay corn and grass.
3. To settle; to fix and keep from rising. A shower lays the dust.
4. To place in order; to dispose with regularity in building; as, to lay bricks or stones in constructing walls.
5. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.
6. To spread or set; as, to lay snares.
7. To calm; to appease; to still; to allay. After a tempest, when the winds are laid. – Waller.
8. To quiet; to still; to restrain from walking; as, to lay the devil. – L'Estrange.
9. To spread and set in order; to prepare; as, to lay a table for dinner.
10. To place in the earth for growth. The chief time of laying gilly-flowers is in July. – Mortimer.
11. To place at hazard; to wage; to stake; as, to lay a crown or an eagle; to lay a wager.
12. To bring forth; to exclude; as, to lay eggs.
13. To add; to join. Woe to them that join house to house, that lay field to field. – Is. v.
14. To put; to apply. She layeth her hand to the spindle. – Prov. xxxi.
15. To assess; to charge; to impose; as, to lay a tax on land; to lay a duty on salt.
16. To charge; to impute; as, to lay blame on one; to lay a want of prudence to one's charge.
17. To impose, as evil, burden, or punishment. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all – Is. liii.
18. To enjoin as a duty; as, to lay commands on one.
19. To exhibit; to present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county.
20. To prostrate; to slay. The leaders first He laid along. – Dryden.
21. To depress and lose sight of, by sailing or departing from; as, to lay the land; a seaman's phrase.
22. To station; to set; as, to lay an ambush.
23. To contrive; to scheme; to plan. To lay a cable, to twist or unite the strands. To lay apart, to put away; to reject. Lay apart all filthiness. James i. To lay aside, to put off or away; not to retain. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us. Heb. xii. #2. To discontinue; as, to lay aside the use of any thing. To lay away, to reposit in store; to put aside for preservation. To lay before, to exhibit; to show; to present to view. The papers are laid before Congress. To lay by, to reserve for future use. Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him. 1 Cor. xvi. #2. To put away; to dismiss. Let brave spirits not be laid by, as persons unnecessary for the time. – Bacon. #3. To put off. And she arose and went away, and laid by her veil. Gen. xxxviii. To lay down, to deposit, as a pledge, equivalent or satisfaction; to resign. I lay down my life for the sheep. John x. #2. To give up; to resign; to quit or relinquish; as, to lay down an office or commission. #3. To quit; to surrender the use of; as, to lay down one's arms. #4. To offer or advance; as, to lay down a proposition or principle. Addison. To lay one's self down, to commit to repose. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. Ps. iv. To lay hold of, to seize; to catch. To lay hold on, is used in a like sense. – Locke. To lay in, to store; to treasure; to provide previously. – Addison. To lay on, to apply with force; to inflict; as, to lay on blows. To lay open, to open; to make bare; to uncover; also, to show; to expose; to reveal; as, to lay open the designs of an enemy. To lay over, to spread over; to incrust; to cover the surface; as, to lay over with gold or silver. To lay out, to expend; as, to lay out money, or sums of money. #2. To display; to discover. He takes occasion to lay out bigotry and false confidence in all its colors. [Obs.] – Atterbury. #3. To plan; to dispose in order the several parts; as, to lay out a garden. #4. To dress in grave clothes and place in a decent posture; as, to lay out a corpse. Shakspeare uses to lay forth. #5. To exert; as, to lay out all one's strength. So with the reciprocal pronoun, to lay one's self out, is to exert strength. #6. To intend or design; as, he lays out to journey in summer; probably from planning. No. 3. To lay to, to charge upon; to impute. – Sidney. #2. To apply with vigor. – Tusser. #3. To attack or harass. [Obs.] – Knolles. #4. To check the motion of a ship, and cause her to be stationary. To lay together, to collect; to bring to one place; also, to bring into one view. To lay to heart, to permit to affect greatly. To lay under, to subject to; as, to lay one under restraint, or obligation. To lay up, to store; to treasure; to reposit for future use. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. – Matt. vi. #2. To confine to the bed or chamber. He is laid up with the great. To lay siege, to besiege; to encompass with an army. To lay wait, to station for private attack; to lay in ambush for. To lay the course, in sailing, is to sail toward the port intended, without gibing. To lay waste, to destroy; to desolate; to deprive of inhabitants, improvements and productions. To lay the land, in seamen's language, is to cause the land apparently to sink or appear lower, by sailing from it; the distance diminishing the elevation.

1. imp. of Lie, to recline.
2. Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.
3. The laity; the common people.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   The learned have no more privilege than the lay. B. Jonson.

4. A meadow. See Lea.
   
   
   [Obs.] Dryden.
5. Faith; creed; religious profession.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   Of the sect to which that he was born
   He kept his lay, to which that he was sworn. Chaucer.

6. A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad.
   
   
   Spenser. Sir W. Scott.
7. To cause to lie down, to be prostrate, or to lie against something; to put or set down; to deposit; as, to lay a book on the table; to lay a body in the grave; a shower lays the dust.
   
   

   A stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den. Dan. vi. 17.

   Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid. Milton.

8. To produce and deposit eggs.
9. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood.
   
   
   Addison.

   A viol should have a lay of wire strings below. Bacon.

   * The lay of a rope is right-handed or left-handed according to the hemp or strands are laid up. See Lay, v. t., 16. The lay of land is its topographical situation, esp. its slope and its surface features.

10. Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.
    
    
    [Obs.]
11. A law.
    
    
    [Obs.] "Many goodly lays." Spenser.
12. A melody; any musical utterance.
    
    

    The throstle cock made eke his lay. Chaucer.

13. To place in position; to establish firmly; to arrange with regularity; to dispose in ranks or tiers; as, to lay a corner stone; to lay bricks in a wall; to lay the covers on a table.
14. To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay forward; to lay aloft.
15. A wager.
    
    
    "My fortunes against any lay worth naming."
16. Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease.
    
    

    Lay baptism (Eccl.), baptism administered by a lay person. F. G. Lee. -- Lay brother (R. C. Ch.), one received into a convent of monks under the three vows, but not in holy orders. -- Lay clerk (Eccl.), a layman who leads the responses of the congregation, etc., in the church service. Hook. -- Lay days (Com.), time allowed in a charter party for taking in and discharging cargo. McElrath. -- Lay elder. See 2d Elder, 3, note.

17. An obligation; a vow.
    
    
    [Obs.]

    They bound themselves by a sacred lay and oath. Holland.

18. To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan.
19. To lay a wager; to bet.
    
    

    To lay about, or To lay about one, to strike vigorously in all directions. J. H. Newman. -- To lay at, to strike or strike at. Spenser. -- To lay for, to prepare to capture or assault; to lay wait for. [Colloq.] Bp Hall. -- To lay in for, to make overtures for; to engage or secure the possession of. [Obs.] "I have laid in for these." Dryden. -- To lay on, to strike; to beat; to attack. Shak. -- To lay out, to purpose; to plan; as, he lays out to make a journey.

20. A job, price, or profit.
    
    
    [Prov. Eng.] Wright. (b)
21. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.
22. A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st Lea (a).
    
    
    (b)
23. To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit.
    
    

    After a tempest when the winds are laid. Waller.

24. A plan; a scheme.
    
    
    [Slang] Dickens.

    Lay figure. (a) A jointed model of the human body that may be put in any attitude; -- used for showing the disposition of drapery, etc. (b) A mere puppet; one who serves the will of others without independent volition. -- Lay race, that part of a lay on which the shuttle travels in weaving; -- called also shuttle race.

25. To cause to lie dead or dying.
    
    

    Brave Cæneus laid Ortygius on the plain,
    The victor Cæneus was by Turnus slain. Dryden.

26. To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk.
    
    

    I dare lay mine honor
    He will remain so. Shak.

27. To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs.
28. To apply; to put.
    
    

    She layeth her hands to the spindle. Prov. xxxi. 19.

29. To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land.
    
    

    The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Is. liii. 6.

30. To impute; to charge; to allege.
    
    

    God layeth not folly to them. Job xxiv. 12.

    Lay the fault on us. Shak.

31. To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one.
32. To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one.
33. To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue.
    
    
    Bouvier.
34. To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun.
35. To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them; as, to lay a cable or rope.
36. To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
    
    
    (b)