lay
verb [ T ]
uk/leɪ/ uslaid | laidto put something onto a surface or under the ground in a horizontal position:
lay a pipe/cable Workmen were digging up the street to lay cables.
They prepared the ground, then laid concrete.
to prepare for doing something or to make it possible for something to happen in the future:
lay the basis/foundation/groundwork for sth Perhaps more than anyone, he laid the groundwork for today's digital revolution.
to bet (= risk) something on the result of an event:
lay odds/a wager I'll lay odds that she won't take the job.
lay blame (on sb/sth)
to say that someone or something is responsible for something bad that happened:
You can't lay blame on the government for all your troubles.
When projects go wrong, everyone looks for somewhere to lay the blame.
lay claim to sth
to say that you own something or have a right to it:
Through a series of buyouts, we laid claim to the best intellectual property of our time.
lay an egg
informal US
to make something that does not work well or that fails:
They laid an egg by putting last decade's technology in that phone.
Phrasal verbs
lay sth aside
lay sth down
lay sb off
lay out (sth) for/on sth
lay sth out
lay sth up
lay
adjective [ before noun ]
uk/leɪ/ usnot expert in or not having a detailed knowledge of a particular subject:
lay person/audience/reader Gadget reviews work best when they use less technical jargon for the lay audience.
See also
layperson