I. VERB AND NOUN USES
(~s, ~ing, laid)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Note: In standard English, the form '~' is also the past tense of the verb 'lie' in some meanings. In informal English, people sometimes use the word '~' instead of 'lie' in those meanings.
Please look at category 9 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If you ~ something somewhere, you put it there in a careful, gentle, or neat way.
Lay a sheet of newspaper on the floor...
My father’s working bench was covered with a cloth and his coffin was laid there...
Mothers routinely ~ babies on their backs to sleep.
VERB: V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv
2.
If you ~ the table or ~ the places at a table, you arrange the knives, forks, and other things that people need on the table before a meal. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use set )
The butler always laid the table.
VERB: V n
3.
If you ~ something such as carpets, cables, or foundations, you put them into their permanent position.
A man came to ~ the saloon carpet...
Public utilities dig up roads to ~ pipes.
VERB: V n, V n
4.
To ~ a trap means to prepare it in order to catch someone or something.
They were ~ing a trap for the kidnapper.
VERB: V n
5.
When a female bird ~s an egg, it produces an egg by pushing it out of its body.
My canary has laid an egg...
Freezing weather in spring hampered the hens’ ability to ~.
VERB: V n, V
6.
Lay is used with some nouns to talk about making official preparations for something. For example, if you ~ the basis for something or ~ plans for it, you prepare it carefully.
Diplomats meeting in Chile have laid the groundwork for far-reaching environmental regulations...
The organisers meet in March to ~ plans.
VERB: V n, V n
7.
Lay is used with some nouns in expressions about accusing or blaming someone. For example, if you ~ the blame for a mistake on someone, you say it is their fault, or if the police ~ charges against someone, they officially accuse that person of a crime.
She refused to ~ the blame on any one party...
Police have decided not to ~ charges over allegations of a telephone tapping operation.
VERB: V n prep, V n
8.
If you ~ yourself open to criticism or attack, or if something ~s you open to it, something you do makes it possible or likely that other people will criticize or attack you.
The party thereby ~s itself open to charges of conflict of interest...
Such a statement could ~ her open to ridicule.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
9.
to ~ something bare: see bare
to ~ claim to something : see claim
to ~ something at someone’s door: see door
to ~ eyes on something : see eye
to ~ a finger on someone : see finger
to ~ your hands on something : see hand
to ~ down the law: see law
to ~ down your life: see life
to ~ something to rest: see rest
to ~ siege to something : see siege
II. ADJECTIVE USES
1.
You use ~ to describe people who are involved with a Christian church but are not members of the clergy or are not monks or nuns.
Edwards is a Methodist ~ preacher and social worker.
ADJ: ADJ n
2.
You use ~ to describe people who are not experts or professionals in a particular subject or activity.
It is difficult for a ~ person to gain access to medical libraries...
ADJ: ADJ n