Definition of Lay. Meaning of Lay. Synonyms of Lay
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Definition of Lay
Lay Lay Lay, n.
The laity; the common people. [Obs.]
The learned have no more privilege than the lay. --B.
Jonson.
Lay Lay Lay, n.
A meadow. See Lea. [Obs.] --Dryden.
Lay Lay Lay, n. [OF. lei faith, law, F. loi law. See Legal.]
1. Faith; creed; religious profession. [Obs.]
Of the sect to which that he was born He kept his
lay, to which that he was sworn. --Chaucer.
2. A law. [Obs.] ``Many goodly lays.' --Spenser.
3. An obligation; a vow. [Obs.]
They bound themselves by a sacred lay and oath. --
Holland.
Lay Lay Lay, a. [OF. lai, lais, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir.
laoi, laoidh, song, poem, OIr. laoidh poem, verse; but cf.
also AS. l[=a]c play, sport, G. leich a sort of poem (cf.
Lake to sport). ?.]
1. A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad. --Spenser. Sir W.
Scott.
2. A melody; any musical utterance.
The throstle cock made eke his lay. --Chaucer.
Lay Lay Lay, a. [F. lai, L. laicus, Gr. ? of or from the people,
lay, from ?, ?, people. Cf. Laic.]
1. Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the
clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.
2. Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.[Obs.]
3. Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular
profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding
the nature of a disease.
Lay baptism (Eccl.), baptism administered by a lay person.
--F. G. Lee.
Lay brother (R. C. Ch.), one received into a convent of
monks under the three vows, but not in holy orders.
Lay clerk (Eccl.), a layman who leads the responses of the
congregation, etc., in the church service. --Hook.
Lay days (Com.), time allowed in a charter party for taking
in and discharging cargo. --McElrath.
Lay elder. See 2d Elder, 3, note.
Lay Lay Lay, v. i.
1. To produce and deposit eggs.
2. (Naut.) To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay
forward; to lay aloft.
3. To lay a wager; to bet.
To lay about, or To lay about one, to strike vigorously
in all directions. --J. H. Newman.
To lay at, to strike or strike at. --Spenser.
To lay for, to prepare to capture or assault; to lay wait
for. [Colloq.] --Bp Hall.
To lay in for, to make overtures for; to engage or secure
the possession of. [Obs.] ``I have laid in for these.'
--Dryden.
To lay on, to strike; to beat; to attack. --Shak.
To lay out, to purpose; to plan; as, he lays out to make a
journey.
Lay Lay Lay, n.
1. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having
been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a
layer; as, a lay of stone or wood. --Addison.
A viol should have a lay of wire strings below.
--Bacon.
Note: The lay of a rope is right-handed or left-handed
according to the hemp or strands are laid up. See
Lay, v. t., 16. The lay of land is its topographical
situation, esp. its slope and its surface features.
2. A wager. ``My fortunes against any lay worth naming.'
3.
(a) A job, price, or profit. [Prov. Eng.] --Wright.
(b) A share of the proceeds or profits of an enterprise;
as, when a man ships for a whaling voyage, he agrees
for a certain lay. [U. S.]
4. (Textile Manuf.)
(a) A measure of yarn; a lea. See 1st Lea
(a) .
(b) The lathe of a loom. See Lathe, 3.
5. A plan; a scheme. [Slang] --Dickens.
Lay figure.
(a) A jointed model of the human body that may be put in
any attitude; -- used for showing the disposition of
drapery, etc.
(b) A mere puppet; one who serves the will of others
without independent volition.
Lay race, that part of a lay on which the shuttle travels
in weaving; -- called also shuttle race.
lay 3. The movable swing frame of a loom, carrying the reed for
separating the warp threads and beating up the weft; --
called also lay and batten.
Blanchard lathe, a lathe for turning irregular forms after
a given pattern, as lasts, gunstocks, and the like.
Drill lathe, or Speed lathe, a small lathe which, from
its high speed, is adapted for drilling; a hand lathe.
Engine lathe, a turning lathe in which the cutting tool has
an automatic feed; -- used chiefly for turning and boring
metals, cutting screws, etc.
Foot lathe, a lathe which is driven by a treadle worked by
the foot.
Geometric lathe. See under GeometricHand lathe, a lathe operated by hand; a power turning lathe
without an automatic feed for the tool.
Slide lathe, an engine lathe.
Throw lathe, a small lathe worked by one hand, while the
cutting tool is held in the other.
