- (v.t.) A share of the proceeds or profits of an enterprise; as, when a man ships for a whaling voyage, he agrees for a certain lay.
- (n.) 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.
- (v.t.) To apply; to put.
- (v.t.) To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun.
- (v.t.) To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.
- (a.) A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad.
- (v.i.) To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay forward; to lay aloft.
- (v.t.) A plan; a scheme.
- (a.) Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.
- (v.t.) To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk.
- (imp.) of Lie, to recline.
- (v.i.) To produce and deposit eggs.
- (v.t.) A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st Lea (a).
- (n.) The laity; the common people.
- (v.t.) To cause to lie dead or dying.
- (v.t.) 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.
- (n.) A meadow. See Lea.
- (v.t.) To place (new type) properly in the cases.
- (a.) Not belonging to or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease.
- (v.t.) To impute; to charge; to allege.
- (n.) Faith; creed; religious profession.
- (v.t.) 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.
- (v.t.) 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.
- (v.t.) To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue.
- (v.i.) To lay a wager; to bet.
- (v.t.) To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush or a plan.
- (v.t.) To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit.
- (v.t.) A job, price or profit.
- (v.t.) To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one.
- (a.) A melody; any musical utterance.
- (v.t.) To impose, as a burden, suffering or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land.
- (n.) A law.
- (v.t.) To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
- (v.t.) A wager.
- (v.t.) To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs.
- (a.) Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.
- (v.t.) To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one.
- (n.) An obligation; a vow.
- (v.t.) The lathe of a loom. See Lathe, 3.
- (imp.) of Lie.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). lay. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/lay/definitions/2026989 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "lay" http://smartdefine.org/lay/definitions/2026989 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, lay, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/lay/definitions/2026989>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "lay" 27 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/lay/definitions/2026989> |