lay

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• lā
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• /leɪ/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -eɪ
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• homophone: lei
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• homophone: ley
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• homophone: le (one pronunciation)
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• CMU ARPABET: L EY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Inherited from Middle English lay, from Old French lai, from Latin lāicus, from Ancient Greek λαϊκός (laïkós). Doublet of laic.

* As an English surname, spelling variant of Lee. * As a Scottish surname, reduced from McClay. * As a Khmer surname, Khmer ឡាយ (laay). * As a French surname, from several place names in France. The river is from Medieval Latin Ledius. * As a German surname, from various placenames in Bavaria and Rhineland.

Inherited from Middle English leyen, leggen, from Old English leċġan (“to lay”), from Proto-West Germanic *laggjan, from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną (“to lay”), causative form of Proto-Germanic *ligjaną (“to lie, recline”), from Proto-Indo-European *legh- (“to lie, recline”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian lääse (“to lay; to lie”), West Frisian lizze (“to lay, to lie”), Cimbrian leng (“to lay”), Dutch leggen (“to lay”), German legen (“to lay”), Limburgish lègke (“to lay”), Luxembourgish leeën (“to lay”), Yiddish לייגן (leygn, “to lay”), Danish lægge (“to lay”), Faroese, Icelandic leggja (“to lay”), Norwegian Bokmål legge (“to lay”), Norwegian Nynorsk legga, legge, leggja, leggje (“to lay”), Swedish lägga (“to lay”), Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (lagjan, “to lay”), Old French laier, laiier, laire (“to leave”), Albanian lag (“troop, band, war encampment”).

Inherited from Middle English lay, laye, laie, ley, leye, which may have multiple origins: * Potentially from *læġ-, an unattested variant stem of Old English lagu m (“sea, flood, water, ocean”), if transferred to a-stem inflection (compare Old English dæġ-, dag- (“day”) > Middle English day, daw-); compare plural Middle English lawes and lauen. If so, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *lagu (“water, sea”), from Proto-Germanic *laguz (“water, sea”), from Proto-Indo-European *lókus (“water, body of water, lake”). * Alternatively, borrowed from Old French lai, from Latin lacus (“lake, hollow, hole”), also from Proto-Indo-European *lókus. * Alternatively, borrowed from leg-, a stem of Old Norse lǫgr, from Proto-Germanic *laguz. Compare Icelandic lögur (“liquid, fluid, lake”). All of these theories make it a doublet of loch, Looe, and lough.

Inherited from Middle English lay, from Old French lai (“song, lyric, poem”), from Frankish *laih (“play, melody, song”), from Proto-Germanic *laikaz, *laikiz (“jump, play, dance, hymn”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“to jump, spring, play”). Akin to Old High German leih (“a play, skit, melody, song”), Middle High German leich (“piece of music, epic song played on a harp”), Old English lācan (“to move quickly, fence, sing”). See lake (“to play”). Contrast German Lied and Lied.

From Middle English lay, laye, laiȝe, leyȝe, from Old English lǣh, lēh, northern (Anglian) variants of Old English lēah (“lea”). More at lea.

Inherited from Middle English lay, lai, laye, ley, lei, borrowed from Old French lei (“law”). Possibly also from or influenced by the etymologically unrelated Middle English lawe (“law”) (with variants including laige, laiȝh, læȝe), from Old English lagu (“law”). More at law.

Inherited from Old English læġ.

Semantic loan from Yiddish לייגן (leygn, “to put, lay”).

296 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: светски (svetski) — non-clergy
• Catalan: laic — non-clergy
• Czech: laický — non-clergy
• Danish: læg — non-clergy
• Danish: læg- — non-clergy
• Dutch: leken- — non-clergy
• Dutch: wereldlijk — non-clergy
• Finnish: maallikko — non-clergy
• French: laïque — non-clergy
• German: Laien- — non-clergy
• German: laikal — non-clergy
• Hungarian: laikus — non-clergy
• Irish: tuata — non-clergy
• Italian: laico — non-clergy
• Italian: laica — non-clergy
• Middle English: lewed — non-clergy
• Middle English: lay — non-clergy
• Norwegian Bokmål: leg — non-clergy
• Norwegian Bokmål: leg- — non-clergy
• Norwegian Bokmål: lek — non-clergy
• Norwegian Bokmål: lek- — non-clergy
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lek — non-clergy
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lek- — non-clergy
• Old English: lǣwede — non-clergy
• Portuguese: leigo — non-clergy
• Portuguese: laico — non-clergy
• Russian: мирско́й (mirskój) — non-clergy
• Russian: све́тский (svétskij) — non-clergy
• Slovak: laický — non-clergy
• Slovene: posveten — non-clergy
• Slovene: laičen — non-clergy
• Spanish: laico — non-clergy
• Swedish: lek- — non-clergy
• Bulgarian: непрофесионален (neprofesionalen) — non-professional
• Bulgarian: лаи́к (laík) — non-professional
• Catalan: profà — non-professional
• Czech: laický — non-professional
• Czech: amatérský — non-professional
• Danish: læg — non-professional
• Danish: læg- — non-professional
• Dutch: leken- — non-professional
• Dutch: amateur- — non-professional
• Dutch: ondeskundig — non-professional
• Finnish: maallikko — non-professional
• German: Laien- — non-professional
• Hungarian: laikus — non-professional
• Irish: tuata — non-professional
• Italian: profano — non-professional
• Italian: profana — non-professional
• Norwegian Bokmål: leg — non-professional
• Norwegian Bokmål: leg- — non-professional
• Norwegian Bokmål: lek — non-professional
• Norwegian Bokmål: lek- — non-professional
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lek — non-professional
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lek- — non-professional
• Portuguese: leigo — non-professional
• Russian: непрофессиона́льный (neprofessionálʹnyj) — non-professional
• Slovak: laický — non-professional
• Slovak: amatérsky — non-professional
• Slovene: laičen — non-professional
• Spanish: lego — non-professional
• Spanish: profano — non-professional
• Swedish: lek- — non-professional
• Ukrainian: непрофесі́йний (neprofesíjnyj) — non-professional
• Ukrainian: непрофесіона́льний (neprofesionálʹnyj) — non-professional
• Irish: tuata — not being a member of an organized institution
• Portuguese: leigo — not being a member of an organized institution
• Portuguese: laico — not being a member of an organized institution
• Spanish: laico — not being a member of an organized institution
• Bulgarian: разположение (razpoloženie) — arrangement or relationship
• Dutch: ligging — arrangement or relationship
• Finnish: sijoittelu — arrangement or relationship
• Finnish: asettelu — arrangement or relationship
• Finnish: kierteen suunta — direction a rope is twisted
• Finnish: kierre — direction a rope is twisted
• Russian: скру́тка (skrútka) — direction a rope is twisted
• Russian: сви́вка (svívka) — direction a rope is twisted
• Bulgarian: свалка (svalka) — casual sexual partner
• Finnish: pano — casual sexual partner
• French: coup — casual sexual partner
• Russian: полово́й партнёр (polovój partnjór) — casual sexual partner
• Bulgarian: балада (balada) — sung poem
• Danish: kvæde — sung poem
• Danish: kvad — sung poem
• Dutch: lied — sung poem
• Dutch: ballade — sung poem
• Finnish: laulu — sung poem
• Irish: laoi — sung poem
• Norwegian: kvede — sung poem
• Portuguese: lai — sung poem
• Russian: лэ (lɛ) — sung poem
• Russian: короткая песенка (korotkaja pesenka) — sung poem
• Russian: короткая балла́да (korotkaja balláda) — sung poem
• Swedish: kväde — sung poem
• French: lai — poem written in octosyllabic couplets
• Arabic: وَضَعَ (waḍaʕa) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Arabic: نعّس (nəʕʕəs) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Bengali: রাখা (rakha) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Bulgarian: слагам (slagam) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Bulgarian: поставям (postavjam) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Catalan: ajeure — to place something down in a position of rest
• Chinese Mandarin: 放 (fàng) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Chinese Mandarin: 置 (zhì) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Chinese Mandarin: 放置 (fàngzhì) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Czech: položit — to place something down in a position of rest
• Czech: uložit — to place something down in a position of rest
• Czech: klást — to place something down in a position of rest
• Czech: pokládat — to place something down in a position of rest
• Danish: lægge — to place something down in a position of rest
• Dutch: leggen — to place something down in a position of rest
• Dutch: neerleggen — to place something down in a position of rest
• Esperanto: kuŝigi — to place something down in a position of rest
• Esperanto: meti — to place something down in a position of rest
• Faroese: leggja — to place something down in a position of rest
• Finnish: laskea — to place something down in a position of rest
• Finnish: asettaa — to place something down in a position of rest
• Finnish: panna — to place something down in a position of rest
• Finnish: laittaa — to place something down in a position of rest
• French: coucher — to place something down in a position of rest
• French: poser — to place something down in a position of rest
• French: mettre — to place something down in a position of rest
• Galician: pór — to place something down in a position of rest
• Galician: poñer — to place something down in a position of rest
• Galician: deitar — to place something down in a position of rest
• German: legen — to place something down in a position of rest
• Gothic: 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (lagjan) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Mbya Guarani: nhono — to place something down in a position of rest
• Higaonon: hidaga — to place something down in a position of rest
• Hungarian: fektet — to place something down in a position of rest
• Indonesian: rebah — to place something down in a position of rest
• Italian: posare — to place something down in a position of rest
• Italian: porre — to place something down in a position of rest
• Japanese: 置く (oku) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Japanese: 産む — to place something down in a position of rest
• Korean: 누이다 (nu'ida) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Korean: 눕히다 (nuphida) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Latgalian: likt — to place something down in a position of rest
• Latvian: likt — to place something down in a position of rest
• Limburgish: lègke — to place something down in a position of rest
• Māori: whakatāpapa — to place something down in a position of rest
• Māori: whakatakoto — to place something down in a position of rest
• Māori: whakapapa — to place something down in a position of rest
• Māori: panga — to place something down in a position of rest
• Neapolitan: cuccà — to place something down in a position of rest
• Norman: couochi — to place something down in a position of rest
• Norwegian: legge — to place something down in a position of rest
• Occitan: colcar — to place something down in a position of rest
• Occitan: jaire — to place something down in a position of rest
• Old English: lecgan — to place something down in a position of rest
• Old English: āleċġan — to place something down in a position of rest
• Old Galician-Portuguese: deitar — to place something down in a position of rest
• Polish: kłaść — to place something down in a position of rest
• Polish: położyć — to place something down in a position of rest
• Portuguese: deitar — to place something down in a position of rest
• Romanian: culca — to place something down in a position of rest
• Russian: класть (klastʹ) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Russian: положи́ть (položítʹ) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Russian: укла́дывать (ukládyvatʹ) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Russian: уложи́ть (uložítʹ) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Sanskrit: दधाति (dadhāti) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Slovene: položiti — to place something down in a position of rest
• Somali: jiifin — to place something down in a position of rest
• Lower Sorbian: połožyś — to place something down in a position of rest
• Lower Sorbian: połožowaś — to place something down in a position of rest
• Spanish: acostar — to place something down in a position of rest
• Spanish: echar — to place something down in a position of rest
• Spanish: tender — to place something down in a position of rest
• Swedish: lägga — to place something down in a position of rest
• Thai: วาง (waang) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Turkish: yatırmak — to place something down in a position of rest
• Ukrainian: кла́сти (klásty) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Ukrainian: ложи́ти (ložýty) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Walloon: coûtchî — to place something down in a position of rest
• Yiddish: לייגן (leygn) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Yiddish: אַוועקלייגן (avekleygn) — to place something down in a position of rest
• Zazaki: ravısten — to place something down in a position of rest
• ǃXóõ: ʻǃnàhã — to place something down in a position of rest
• Finnish: laannuttaa — archaic: to cause to subside or abate
• Bulgarian: оставям (ostavjam) — to leave something somewhere
• Finnish: jättää — to leave something somewhere
• German: ablegen — to leave something somewhere
• Italian: lasciare — to leave something somewhere
• Māori: panga — to leave something somewhere
• Norwegian: legge igjen — to leave something somewhere
• Portuguese: deixar — to leave something somewhere
• Zazaki: vıradayen — to leave something somewhere
• Bulgarian: слагам (slagam) — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Finnish: valmistaa — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Finnish: laskea — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Finnish: kattaa — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Italian: disporre — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Norwegian: legge — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Norwegian: dekke — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Portuguese: preparar — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Portuguese: dispor — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Russian: накрыва́ть (nakryvátʹ) — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Russian: накры́ть (nakrýtʹ) — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Slovene: položiti — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Spanish: poner — to prepare groundwork, table etc.
• Bulgarian: полагам (polagam) — to install certain building materials
• Czech: klást — to install certain building materials
• Czech: pokládat — to install certain building materials
• Dutch: installeren — to install certain building materials
• Dutch: plaatsen — to install certain building materials
• Dutch: leggen — to install certain building materials
• Finnish: tehdä — to install certain building materials
• Finnish: muurata — to install certain building materials
• Finnish: laatoittaa — to install certain building materials
• German: legen — to install certain building materials
• Italian: posare — to install certain building materials
• Latgalian: kluot — to install certain building materials
• Latvian: klāt — to install certain building materials
• Norwegian: legge — to install certain building materials
• Portuguese: assentar — to install certain building materials
• Russian: укла́дывать (ukládyvatʹ) — to install certain building materials
• Russian: уложи́ть (uložítʹ) — to install certain building materials
• Slovene: položiti — to install certain building materials
• Spanish: poner — to install certain building materials
• Turkish: döşemek — to install certain building materials
• Ukrainian: уклада́ти (ukladáty) — to install certain building materials
• Arabic: وَضَعَ (waḍaʕa) — to deposit an egg
• Arabic: بيّض — to deposit an egg
• Bengali: পাড়া (paṛa) — to deposit an egg
• Bulgarian: снасям (snasjam) — to deposit an egg
• Catalan: pondre — to deposit an egg
• Chinese Mandarin: 下蛋 (xiàdàn) — to deposit an egg
• Chinese Mandarin: 产卵 (chǎnluǎn) — to deposit an egg
• Ngazidja Comorian: huusa — to deposit an egg
• Czech: snést — to deposit an egg
• Czech: snášet — to deposit an egg
• Dutch: leggen — to deposit an egg
• Finnish: munia — to deposit an egg
• French: pondre — to deposit an egg
• Friulian: ovâ — to deposit an egg
• Friulian: pondi — to deposit an egg
• Galician: pór — to deposit an egg
• Galician: poñer — to deposit an egg
• German: legen — to deposit an egg
• Hungarian: tojik — to deposit an egg
• Ingrian: munnia — to deposit an egg
• Ingrian: vallaa — to deposit an egg
• Italian: deporre — to deposit an egg
• Japanese: 生む (umu) — to deposit an egg
• Latvian: dēt — to deposit an egg
• Linngithigh: kic — to deposit an egg
• Māori: whānau — to deposit an egg
• Norman: pondre — to deposit an egg
• Norwegian: legge — to deposit an egg
• Persian: تخم گذاردن (toxm gozârdan) — to deposit an egg
• Polish: składać — to deposit an egg
• Polish: złożyć — to deposit an egg
• Portuguese: botar — to deposit an egg
• Portuguese: pôr — to deposit an egg
• Romanian: oua — to deposit an egg
• Russian: откла́дывать (otkládyvatʹ) — to deposit an egg
• Russian: отложи́ть (otložítʹ) — to deposit an egg
• Samoan: tu'ufua — to deposit an egg
• Slovak: zniesť — to deposit an egg
• Slovak: znášať — to deposit an egg
• Spanish: poner — to deposit an egg
• Spanish: aovar — to deposit an egg
• Spanish: ovar — to deposit an egg
• Swedish: lägga — to deposit an egg
• Tetum: tolun — to deposit an egg
• Thai: ไข่ (kài) — to deposit an egg
• Thai: วางไข่ (waang-kài) — to deposit an egg
• Tongan: fakatō — to deposit an egg
• Turkish: yumurtlamak — to deposit an egg
• Ukrainian: кла́сти (klásty) — to deposit an egg
• Ukrainian: нести́ (nestý) — to deposit an egg
• Venetan: ponder — to deposit an egg
• Venetan: pondar — to deposit an egg
• Vietnamese: đẻ trứng — to deposit an egg
• Walloon: ponre — to deposit an egg
• Welsh: dodwy — to deposit an egg
• Bulgarian: залагам (zalagam) — to wager
• Bulgarian: басирам се (basiram se) — to wager
• Czech: vsadit — to wager
• Czech: vsadit si — to wager
• Dutch: verwedden — to wager
• Russian: держа́ть пари́ (deržátʹ parí) — to wager
• Russian: би́ться об закла́д (bítʹsja ob zaklád) — to wager
• Czech: šoustat — to have sex with
• Czech: píchat — to have sex with
• Finnish: maata — to have sex with
• Finnish: panna — to have sex with
• German: flachlegen — to have sex with
• Italian: giacere — to have sex with
• Portuguese: deitar-se com — to have sex with
• Russian: пересыпа́ть (peresypátʹ) — to have sex with
• Russian: переспа́ть (perespátʹ) — to have sex with
• Spanish: acostarse — to have sex with
• Spanish: tirar — to have sex with
• Spanish: yacer — to have sex with
• Swedish: ligga — to have sex with
• Zazaki: cısanen — to have sex with