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(), imp. of Lie, to recline. 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 (), n.The laity; the common people. [Obs.] The learned have no more privilege than the lay. B. Jonson. Lay n.A meadow. See Lea. [Obs.] Dryden. 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 (), a.[OF. lai, lais, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. laoi, laoidh, song, poem, OIr. laoidh poem, verse; but cf. also AS. lc 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 (l), v. t.[imp. & p. p.Laid (ld); 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 cau 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 (), 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. 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 w スポンサード リンク
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