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   lay

   /leɪ/

   verb

   • 1. put (something) down gently or carefully: "she laid the baby in his cot" Similar putplacesetput downset downdepositrestsituatesitsettlestowbalancestationdropleavelet fallthrow downfling downdeploylocatepositioninformal:plantstickdumpbungparkplonkpopshoveOpposite pick up
   • ▪ prevent (something) from rising off the ground: "there may have been the odd light shower just to lay the dust"
   • 2. put down and set in position for use: "it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional"
   • ▪ set cutlery, crockery, etc. on (a table) in preparation for a meal: British "she laid the table for dinner"
   • ▪ cover (a surface) with objects or a substance: "the floor was laid with mattresses"
   • ▪ put the material for (a fire) in place and arrange it: "he was making newspaper knots before laying a fire in the fireplace"
   • ▪ prepare (a trap) for someone: "she wouldn't put it past him to lay a trap for her"
   • ▪ work out (an idea or suggestion) in detail ready for use or presentation: "I'd like more time to lay my plans" Similar devisearrangecontrivemakepreparework outhatchconcoctdesignplanschemeplotorganizeframethink updream upcook upbrewconceivemake readyget readyput togetherdraw upproducedevelopcomposeformulate
   • ▪ locate (an episode in a play, novel, etc.) in a particular place: "no one who knew the area could be in doubt where the scene was laid"
   • ▪ stake (an amount of money) in a bet: "she suspected he was pulling her leg, but she wouldn't have laid money on it" Similar betwagergamblestakehazardriskchanceventuregive oddsspeculategameinformal:punthave a flutter
   • 3. used with an abstract noun so that the phrase formed has the same meaning as the verb related to the noun used, e.g. ‘lay the blame on’ means ‘to blame’: "she laid great stress on little courtesies" Similar assignattributeascribeallocateallotimputeattachimposefixhold someone responsiblehold someone accountablehold someone answerablecondemnfind guilty ofpin the blame onOpposite exoneratehold blameless
   • 4. (of a female bird, insect, reptile, or amphibian) produce (an egg) from inside the body: "flamingos lay only one egg" Similar producetechnical:oviposit
   • 5. have sex with. vulgar slang
   • 6. follow (a specified course): "I'm going to lay a course for Ibiza harbour"
   • 7. trim (a hedge) back, cutting the branches half through, bending them down, and interweaving them: "most hedges are no longer laid"

   noun

   • 1. the general appearance of an area of land: "the lay of the surrounding countryside"
   • ▪ the position or direction in which something lies: "roll the carpet against the lay of the nap"
   • ▪ the direction or amount of twist in rope strands.
   • 2. an act or instance of having sex. vulgar slang
   • ▪ a person with a particular ability or availability as a sexual partner.
   • 3. the laying of eggs or the period during which they are laid: "the onset of lay may be marked by a dropping of the duck's abdomen"

   Word Origin Old Englishlecgan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leggen and German legen, also to lie1.

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • L

     1

   • A

     1

   • Y

     4

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