Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LAY, v.t. [pret. and pp. laid. Sax. lecgan, legan; D. leggen; G. legen; Sw. lägga; Dan. legger; Russ. loju; L. loco, whence locus, W. lle, place, Eng. ley or lea; W. lleau, to lay. Hence Fr. lieu, Arm. lech, a place; Ir. legadh, Arm. lacqaat, to lay. The primary sense is to send or throw; hence this word is the L. lego, legare, differently applied; Gr. λεγομαι, to lie down; Eth. ለከአ, laka, to send, whence lackey. Class Lg, No. 1, 21. It coincides with lodge and with lie.]

1. Literally, to throw down; hence, to put or place; applied to things broad or long, and in this respect differing from set. We lay a book on the table, when we place it on its side, but we set it on the end. We lay the foundation of a house, but we set a building on its foundation. He laid his robe from Him. – Jonah iii. Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid. – Illinois. A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den. – Dan. vi.
2. To beat down; to prostrate. Violent winds with rain lay corn and grass.
3. To settle; to fix and keep from rising. A shower lays the dust.
4. To place in order; to dispose with regularity in building; as, to lay bricks or stones in constructing walls.
5. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint.
6. To spread or set; as, to lay snares.
7. To calm; to appease; to still; to allay. After a tempest, when the winds are laid. – Waller.
8. To quiet; to still; to restrain from walking; as, to lay the devil. – L'Estrange.
9. To spread and set in order; to prepare; as, to lay a table for dinner.
10. To place in the earth for growth. The chief time of laying gilly-flowers is in July. – Mortimer.
11. To place at hazard; to wage; to stake; as, to lay a crown or an eagle; to lay a wager.
12. To bring forth; to exclude; as, to lay eggs.
13. To add; to join. Woe to them that join house to house, that lay field to field. – Is. v.
14. To put; to apply. She layeth her hand to the spindle. – Prov. xxxi.
15. To assess; to charge; to impose; as, to lay a tax on land; to lay a duty on salt.
16. To charge; to impute; as, to lay blame on one; to lay a want of prudence to one's charge.
17. To impose, as evil, burden, or punishment. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all – Is. liii.
18. To enjoin as a duty; as, to lay commands on one.
19. To exhibit; to present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county.
20. To prostrate; to slay. The leaders first He laid along. – Dryden.
21. To depress and lose sight of, by sailing or departing from; as, to lay the land; a seaman's phrase.
22. To station; to set; as, to lay an ambush.
23. To contrive; to scheme; to plan. To lay a cable, to twist or unite the strands. To lay apart, to put away; to reject. Lay apart all filthiness. James i. To lay aside, to put off or away; not to retain. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us. Heb. xii. #2. To discontinue; as, to lay aside the use of any thing. To lay away, to reposit in store; to put aside for preservation. To lay before, to exhibit; to show; to present to view. The papers are laid before Congress. To lay by, to reserve for future use. Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him. 1 Cor. xvi. #2. To put away; to dismiss. Let brave spirits not be laid by, as persons unnecessary for the time. – Bacon. #3. To put off. And she arose and went away, and laid by her veil. Gen. xxxviii. To lay down, to deposit, as a pledge, equivalent or satisfaction; to resign. I lay down my life for the sheep. John x. #2. To give up; to resign; to quit or relinquish; as, to lay down an office or commission. #3. To quit; to surrender the use of; as, to lay down one's arms. #4. To offer or advance; as, to lay down a proposition or principle. Addison. To lay one's self down, to commit to repose. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. Ps. iv. To lay hold of, to seize; to catch. To lay hold on, is used in a like sense. – Locke. To lay in, to store; to treasure; to provide previously. – Addison. To lay on, to apply with force; to inflict; as, to lay on blows. To lay open, to open; to make bare; to uncover; also, to show; to expose; to reveal; as, to lay open the designs of an enemy. To lay over, to spread over; to incrust; to cover the surface; as, to lay over with gold or silver. To lay out, to expend; as, to lay out money, or sums of money. #2. To display; to discover. He takes occasion to lay out bigotry and false confidence in all its colors. [Obs.] – Atterbury. #3. To plan; to dispose in order the several parts; as, to lay out a garden. #4. To dress in grave clothes and place in a decent posture; as, to lay out a corpse. Shakspeare uses to lay forth. #5. To exert; as, to lay out all one's strength. So with the reciprocal pronoun, to lay one's self out, is to exert strength. #6. To intend or design; as, he lays out to journey in summer; probably from planning. No. 3. To lay to, to charge upon; to impute. – Sidney. #2. To apply with vigor. – Tusser. #3. To attack or harass. [Obs.] – Knolles. #4. To check the motion of a ship, and cause her to be stationary. To lay together, to collect; to bring to one place; also, to bring into one view. To lay to heart, to permit to affect greatly. To lay under, to subject to; as, to lay one under restraint, or obligation. To lay up, to store; to treasure; to reposit for future use. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. – Matt. vi. #2. To confine to the bed or chamber. He is laid up with the great. To lay siege, to besiege; to encompass with an army. To lay wait, to station for private attack; to lay in ambush for. To lay the course, in sailing, is to sail toward the port intended, without gibing. To lay waste, to destroy; to desolate; to deprive of inhabitants, improvements and productions. To lay the land, in seamen's language, is to cause the land apparently to sink or appear lower, by sailing from it; the distance diminishing the elevation.