I. ˈlī intransitive verb
( lay ˈlā ; lain ˈlān ; ly·ing ˈlī-iŋ)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English licgan; akin to Old High German ligen to lie, Latin lectus bed, Greek lechos
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position : be prostrate : rest , recline
lie motionless
lie asleep
b. : to assume a horizontal position — often used with down
c. archaic : to reside temporarily : stay for the night : lodge
d. : to have sexual intercourse — used with with
e. : to remain inactive (as in concealment)
lie in wait
2. : to be in a helpless or defenseless state
the town lay at the mercy of the invaders
3. of an inanimate thing : to be or remain in a flat or horizontal position upon a broad support
books lying on the table
4. : to have direction : extend
the route lay to the west
5.
a. : to occupy a certain relative place or position
hills lie behind us
b. : to have a place in relation to something else
the real reason lie s deeper
c. : to have an effect through mere presence, weight, or relative position
remorse lay heavily on him
d. : to be sustainable or admissible
6. : to remain at anchor or becalmed
7.
a. : to have place : exist
the choice lay between fighting or surrendering
b. : consist , belong
the success of the book lie s in its direct style
responsibility lay with the adults
8. : remain ; especially : to remain unused, unsought, or uncared for
Usage: see lay
• li·er ˈlī(-ə)r noun
•
- lie low
II. noun
Date: 1697
1. chiefly British : lay 6
2. : the position or situation in which something lies
a golf ball in a difficult lie
3. : the haunt of an animal (as a fish) : covert
4. British : an act or instance of lying or resting
III. verb
( lied ; ly·ing ˈlī-iŋ)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lēogan; akin to Old High German liogan to lie, Old Church Slavic lŭgati
Date: before 12th century
intransitive verb
1. : to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
2. : to create a false or misleading impression
transitive verb
: to bring about by telling lies
lied his way out of trouble
Synonyms:
lie , prevaricate , equivocate , palter , fib mean to tell an untruth. lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty
lied about where he had been
prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue
during the hearings the witness did his best to prevaricate
equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another
equivocated endlessly in an attempt to mislead her inquisitors
palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises
a swindler paltering with his investors
fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth
fibbed about the price of the new suit
IV. noun
Etymology: Middle English lige, lie, from Old English lyge; akin to Old High German lugī, Old English lēogan to lie
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive
b. : an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker
2. : something that misleads or deceives
3. : a charge of lying