/ leɪ; NAmE / noun
1.
(also ˈley line ) an imaginary line that is believed to follow the route of an ancient track and to have special powers
2.
( technical ) an area of land where grass is grown temporarily instead of crops
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WORD ORIGIN
sense 2 Old English lǣge fallow (recorded in lǣghrycg ridge left at the edge of a ploughed field) ; related to lay and lie (I).
sense 1 1920s: variant of lea .