Webster's English Dictionary

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lay

1. lay \'la-\ \'la-d\ vb or laid;  or lay.ing [ME leyen, fr. OE lecgan; 
   akin to OE licgan to lie - more a]t LIE 1: to beat or strike down with 
   force  2a: to put or set down  2b: to place for rest or sleep; esp : BURY  
   3: to bring forth and deposit (an egg)  4: CALM, ALLAY {~ the dust};  5: 
   BET, WAGER  6: to press down smooth and even  7a: to dispose or spread over 
   or on a surface {~ track ~ pla ster} 7b: to set in order or position {~ a 
   table for dinner ~ bric k} 7c: to put (strands) in place and twist to form 
   a rope, hawser, or cable;  also : to make by so doing {~ up rope} 8a: to 
   impose as a duty, burden, or punishment {~ a tax}  8b: to put as a burden 
   of reproach {laid the blame on him}  8c: to advance as an accusation : 
   IMPUTE  9: to place (something immaterial) on something {~ stress on gramm 
   ar} 10: PREPARE, CONTRIVE {a well-laid plan}  11a: to put to : APPLY {laid 
   the watch to his ear}  11b: to prepare or position for action or operation 
   {~ a fire};  specif : to adjust (a gun) to the proper direction and 
   elevation 12: to bring to a specified condition {~ waste the land}  13a: 
   ASSERT, ALLEGE {~ claim to an estate}  13b: to submit for examination and 
   judgment {laid his case before  the commission} 1: to produce and deposit 
   eggs  nonstand  2: LIE  3: WAGER, BET  dial  4: PLAN, PREPARE {~ for a 
   chance}  5a: to apply oneself vigorously {laid to his oars}  naut  5b: GO, 
   COME {~ aloft}  1: to remove (a parliamentary motion) from consideration 
   indefinitely  Brit  2: to put (as legislation) on the agenda  - lay on the 
   table 
2. lay n 1: something (as a layer) that lies or is laid  2: COVERT, LAIR  
   3a: line of action : PLAN  3b: line of work : OCCUPATION  4a: terms of sale 
   or employment : PRICE  4b: share of profit (as on a whaling voyage) paid in 
   lieu of wages  5a: the amount of advance of any point in a rope strand for 
   one turn  5b: the nature of a fiber rope as determined by the amount of 
   twist, the an gle of the strands, and the angle of the threads in the 
   strands 6: the way in which a thing lies or is laid in relation to 
   something else <(~ of the land} 7: the state of one that lays eggs 
3. lay  past of LIE 
4. lay n [ME, fr. OF lai] 1: a simple narrative poem : BALLAD  2: MELODY, 
   SONG 
5. lay aj [ME, fr. OF lai, fr. LL laicus, fr. Gk laikos of the people,]fr. 
   laos people 1: of or relating to the laity : not ecclesiastical  2: of or 
   relating to members of a religious house occupied with domestic o r manual 
   work {~ brother} 3: not of or from a particular profession : UNPROFESSIONAL 
   {~  public}