Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Lay \Lay\, n.
   The laity; the common people. [Obs.]

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

Lay \Lay\, n.
   A meadow. See {Lea}. [Obs.] --Dryden.

Lay \Lay\, n. [OF. lei faith, law, F. loi law. See {Legal}.]
   1. 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.

   2. A law. [Obs.] ``Many goodly lays.'' --Spenser.

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

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

Lay \Lay\, imp.
   of {Lie}, to recline.

Lay \Lay\, a. [OF. lai, lais, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir.
   laoi, laoidh, song, poem, OIr. laoidh poem, verse; but cf.
   also AS. l[=a]c play, sport, G. leich a sort of poem (cf.
   {Lake} to sport). ?.]
   1. A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad. --Spenser. Sir W.
      Scott.

   2. A melody; any musical utterance.

            The throstle cock made eke his lay.   --Chaucer.

Lay \Lay\, a. [F. lai, L. laicus, Gr. ? of or from the people,
   lay, from ?, ?, people. Cf. {Laic}.]
   1. Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the
      clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.

   2. Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.[Obs.]

   3. 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.

Lay \Lay\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Laid}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Laying}.] [OE. leggen, AS. lecgan, causative, fr. licgan to
   lie; akin to D. leggen, G. legen, Icel. leggja, Goth. lagjan.
   See {Lie} to be prostrate.]
   1. 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.

   2. 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.

   3. To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to
      lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan.

   4. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.

   5. 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.

   6. To cause to lie dead or dying.

            Brave C[ae]neus laid Ortygius on the plain, The
            victor C[ae]neus was by Turnus slain. --Dryden.

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

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

   8. To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs.

   9. To apply; to put.

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

   10. 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. Iiii. 6.

   11. To impute; to charge; to allege.

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

             Lay the fault on us.                 --Shak.

   12. To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on
       one.

   13. To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a
       particular county; to lay a scheme before one.

   14. (Law) To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue.
       --Bouvier.

   15. (Mil.) To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun.

   16. (Rope Making) 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.

   17. (Print.)
       (a) To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the
           imposing stone.
       (b) To place (new type) properly in the cases.

   {To lay asleep}, to put sleep; to make unobservant or
      careless. --Bacon.

   {To lay bare}, to make bare; to strip.

            And laid those proud roofs bare to summer's rain.
                                                  --Byron.

   {To lay before}, to present to; to submit for consideration;
      as, the papers are laid before Congress.

   {To lay by}.
       (a) To save.
       (b) To discard.

                 Let brave spirits . . . not be laid by.
                                                  --Bacon.

   {To lay by the heels}, to put in the stocks. --Shak.

   {To lay down}.
       (a) To stake as a wager.
       (b) To yield; to relinquish; to surrender; as, to lay
           down one's life; to lay down one's arms.
       (c) To assert or advance, as a proposition or principle.
           

   {To lay forth}.
       (a) To extend at length; (reflexively) to exert one's
           self; to expatiate. [Obs.]
       (b) To lay out (as a corpse). [Obs.] --Shak.

   {To lay hands on}, to seize.

   {To lay hands on one's self}, or {To lay violent hands on
   one's self}, to injure one's self; specif., to commit
      suicide.

   {To lay heads together}, to consult.

   {To lay hold of}, or {To lay hold on}, to seize; to catch.

   {To lay in}, to store; to provide.

   {To lay it on}, to apply without stint. --Shak.

Lay \Lay\, v. i.
   1. To produce and deposit eggs.

   2. (Naut.) To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay
      forward; to lay aloft.

   3. 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.

Lay \Lay\, n.
   1. 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.

   Note: 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.

   2. A wager. ``My fortunes against any lay worth naming.''

   3.
      (a) A job, price, or profit. [Prov. Eng.] --Wright.
      (b) 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. [U. S.]

   4. (Textile Manuf.)
      (a) A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st {Lea}
      (a) .
      (b) The lathe of a loom. See {Lathe}, 3.

   5. 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}.

Lie \Lie\, v. i. [imp. {Lay} (l[=a]); p. p. {Lain} (l[=a]n),
   ({Lien} (l[imac]"[e^]n), Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. {Lying}.]
   [OE. lien, liggen, AS. licgan; akin to D. liggen, OHG. ligen,
   licken, G. liegen, Icel. liggja, Sw. ligga, Dan. ligge, Goth.
   ligan, Russ. lejate, L. lectus bed, Gr. le`chos bed,
   le`xasqai to lie. Cf. {Lair}, {Law}, {Lay}, v. t., {Litter},
   {Low}, adj.]
   1. To rest extended on the ground, a bed, or any support; to
      be, or to put one's self, in an horizontal position, or
      nearly so; to be prostate; to be stretched out; -- often
      with down, when predicated of living creatures; as, the
      book lies on the table; the snow lies on the roof; he lies
      in his coffin.

            The watchful traveler . . . Lay down again, and
            closed his weary eyes.                --Dryden.

   2. To be situated; to occupy a certain place; as, Ireland
      lies west of England; the meadows lie along the river; the
      ship lay in port.

   3. To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in
      a certain state or condition; as, to lie waste; to lie
      fallow; to lie open; to lie hid; to lie grieving; to lie
      under one's displeasure; to lie at the mercy of the waves;
      the paper does not lie smooth on the wall.

   4. To be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding
      place; to consist; -- with in.

            Envy lies between beings equal in nature, though
            unequal in circumstances.             --Collier.

            He that thinks that diversion may not lie in hard
            labor, forgets the early rising and hard riding of
            huntsmen.                             --Locke.

   5. To lodge; to sleep.

            Whiles I was now trifling at home, I saw London, . .
            . where I lay one night only.         --Evelyn.

            Mr. Quinion lay at our house that night. --Dickens.

   6. To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest.

            The wind is loud and will not lie.    --Shak.

   7. (Law) To be sustainable; to be capable of being
      maintained. ``An appeal lies in this case.'' --Parsons.

   Note: Through ignorance or carelessness speakers and writers
         often confuse the forms of the two distinct verbs lay
         and lie. Lay is a transitive verb, and has for its
         preterit laid; as, he told me to lay it down, and I
         laid it down. Lie is intransitive, and has for its
         preterit lay; as, he told me to lie down, and I lay
         down. Some persons blunder by using laid for the
         preterit of lie; as, he told me to lie down, and I laid
         down. So persons often say incorrectly, the ship laid
         at anchor; they laid by during the storm; the book was
         laying on the shelf, etc. It is only necessary to
         remember, in all such cases, that laid is the preterit
         of lay, and not of lie.

   {To lie along the shore} (Naut.), to coast, keeping land in
      sight.

   {To lie at the door of}, to be imputable to; as, the sin,
      blame, etc., lies at your door.

   {To lie at the heart}, to be an object of affection, desire,
      or anxiety. --Sir W. Temple.

   {To lie at the mercy of}, to be in the power of.

   {To lie by}.
      (a) To remain with; to be at hand; as, he has the
          manuscript lying by him.
      (b) To rest; to intermit labor; as, we lay by during the
          heat of the day.

   {To lie hard} or {heavy}, to press or weigh; to bear hard.

   {To lie in}, to be in childbed; to bring forth young.

   {To lie in one}, to be in the power of; to belong to. ``As
      much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.''
      --Rom. xii. 18.

   {To lie in the way}, to be an obstacle or impediment.

   {To lie in wait}, to wait in concealment; to lie in ambush.
      

   {To lie on} or {upon}.
      (a) To depend on; as, his life lies on the result.
      (b) To bear, rest, press, or weigh on.

   {To lie low}, to remain in concealment or inactive. [Slang]
      

   {To lie on hand},

   {To lie on one's hands}, to remain unsold or unused; as, the
      goods are still lying on his hands; they have too much
      time lying on their hands.

   {To lie on the head of}, to be imputed to.

            What he gets more of her than sharp words, let it
            lie on my head.                       --Shak.

   {To lie over}.
      (a) To remain unpaid after the time when payment is due,
          as a note in bank.
      (b) To be deferred to some future occasion, as a
          resolution in a public deliberative body.

   {To lie to} (Naut.), to stop or delay; especially, to head as
      near the wind as possible as being the position of
      greatest safety in a gale; -- said of a ship. Cf. {To
      bring to}, under {Bring}.

   {To lie under}, to be subject to; to suffer; to be oppressed
      by.

   {To lie with}.
      (a) To lodge or sleep with.
      (b) To have sexual intercourse with.
      (c) To belong to; as, it lies with you to make amends.

Source : WordNet®

lay
     adj 1: concerning those not members of the clergy; "set his collar
            in laic rather than clerical position"; "the lay
            ministry"; "the choir sings both sacred and secular
            music" [syn: {laic}, {secular}]
     2: not of or from a profession; "a lay opinion as to the cause
        of the disease"
     [also: {laid}]

lay
     n 1: a narrative song with a recurrent refrain [syn: {ballad}]
     2: a narrative poem of popular origin [syn: {ballad}]
     [also: {laid}]

lay
     v 1: put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your
          things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the
          scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a
          certain point" [syn: {put}, {set}, {place}, {pose}, {position}]
     2: put in a horizontal position; "lay the books on the table";
        "lay the patient carefully onto the bed" [syn: {put down},
         {repose}]
     3: prepare or position for action or operation; "lay a fire";
        "lay the foundation for a new health care plan"
     4: lay eggs; "This hen doesn't lay"
     5: impose as a duty, burden, or punishment; "lay a
        responsibility on someone"
     [also: {laid}]

lie
     n 1: a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth [syn: {prevarication}]
     2: Norwegian diplomat who was the first Secretary General of
        the United Nations (1896-1968) [syn: {Trygve Lie}, {Trygve
        Halvden Lie}]
     3: position or manner in which something is situated
     [also: {lying}, {lay}, {lain}]

lie
     v 1: be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
     2: be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position; "The
        sick man lay in bed all day"; "the books are lying on the
        shelf" [ant: {stand}, {sit}]
     3: originate (in); "The problems dwell in the social injustices
        in this country" [syn: {dwell}, {consist}, {belong}, {lie
        in}]
     4: be and remain in a particular state or condition; "lie
        dormant"
     5: tell an untruth; pretend with intent to deceive; "Don't lie
        to your parents"; "She lied when she told me she was only
        29"
     6: have a place in relation to something else; "The fate of
        Bosnia lies in the hands of the West"; "The responsibility
        rests with the Allies" [syn: {rest}]
     7: assume a reclining position; "lie down on the bed until you
        feel better" [syn: {lie down}] [ant: {arise}]
     [also: {lying}, {lay}, {lain}]

lay
     See {lie}
     [also: {laid}]