She laid the baby in his crib for a nap. Lay has been used intransitively in the sense of "lie" since the 14th century. The practice was unremarked until around 1770; attempts to correct it have …

lay verb (EXPRESS) [ T ] to express a claim, legal statement, etc. in a serious or official way:

In careful English, the verb lay is used with an object and lie without one: the soldier laid down his arms; the Queen laid a wreath; the book was lying on the table; he was lying on the floor.

Jun 22, 2023 · Knowing the definitions of lay and lie helps, but it doesn’t necessarily tell you exactly how to use them in a sentence. Remember, lay needs a direct object, while lie never …

1. To give up; abandon: lay aside all hope of rescue. 2. To save for the future: laid aside money for a vacation.

Lay is used with some nouns in expressions about accusing or blaming someone. For example, if you lay the blame for a mistake on someone, you say it is their fault, or if the police lay …

May 31, 2025 · lay (third-person singular simple present lays, present participle laying, simple past laid, past participle laid or (colloquial) lain) (transitive) To place down in a position of rest, or in …

The way or position in which something is situated or arranged. The lay of the land.

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

To lay is to set something down or put it in a horizontal position. It can also mean to position or prepare something for action — or simply to lay eggs.