lay

verb
UK: /leɪ/
US: /leɪ/

  1. To put something down gently or carefully in a flat position.

    1. Lay the baby in the crib. [ ] [ ]
    2. Carefully lay the fragile vase on the table to avoid breaking it. [ ] [ ]

  2. To produce eggs.

    1. Hens lay eggs every day. [ ] [ ]
    2. The chickens lay fewer eggs in the winter months because of the cold. [ ] [ ]

  3. To prepare or arrange something.

    1. Lay the table for dinner. [ ] [ ]
    2. They lay plans for their future while sitting by the riverbank. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

place set put aspect arrangement
lay noun

  1. The general appearance or nature of a place.

    1. I know the lay of the land. [ ] [ ]
    2. He understood the political lay of the land before making any decisions. [ ] [ ]
lay adjective

  1. Not trained or belonging to a profession.

    1. He is a lay preacher. [ ] [ ]
    2. Lay judges are sometimes used in legal systems alongside professional judges. [ ] [ ]
lay phrasal-verb

  1. To hit or punch someone.

    1. If he says that again, I'll lay him out. [ ] [ ]
    2. He threatened to lay anyone out who tried to stop him from leaving. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "lay" in English means: To put something down gently or carefully in a flat position., To produce eggs., To prepare or arrange something..

The phonetic transcription of "lay" is /leɪ/ in British English and /leɪ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "lay": place, set, put, aspect, arrangement.

Example usage of "lay": "Lay the baby in the crib.". More examples on the page.