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to put something in especially a flat or horizontal position, usually carefully or for a particular purpose: 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 meaning of LAY is to beat or strike down with force. How to use lay in a sentence. Lay vs. Lie: Usage Guide
Lie is a verb which means ‘to be in or put yourself into a flat position’. It is an irregular verb and it doesn’t take an object. The -ing form is lying and the past simple is lay. The -ed form, lain, is very formal and is rarely used: I love to lie on a beach and read. She lay on the bed and gazed at the ceiling, daydreaming.
Lay commonly means to put or place someone or something down, as in Lay the bags on the table or I’m going to lay the baby in the crib. The sense of lie that’s often confused with lay means to be in or get into a reclining position—to recline, as in I just want to lie in bed for a few more minutes.
[transitive] to put somebody/something in a particular position, especially when it is done gently or carefully. lay somebody/something + adv./prep. He laid a hand on my arm. Relatives laid wreaths on the grave. She laid the baby down gently on the bed. Red roses were laid at the memorial. She noticed some paintings laid against the far wall.
USAGE lay 1 and lie 2 are often confused. lay is most commonly a transitive verb and takes an object. Its forms are regular. If “place” or “put” can be substituted in a sentence, a form of lay is called for: Lay the folders on the desk. The mason is laying brick.
Definition of lay verb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
To lay is to set something down or put it in a horizontal position. It can also mean to position or prepare something for action — or simply to lay eggs.
1. To cause to lie down: lay a child in its crib. 2. a. To place in or bring to a particular position: lay the cloth over the painting. b. To bury. 3. To cause to be in a particular condition: The remark laid him open to criticism. 4. To put or set down: lay new railroad track. 5. To produce and deposit: lay eggs. 6.
Lay the material flat on the table. see thesaurus at put 2 → lay bricks/carpet/concrete/cables etc 3 bird/insect etc [ intransitive, transitive] if a bird, insect etc lays eggs, it produces them from its body The flies lay their eggs on decaying meat.
