Phrase Hound found 144 phrases and 126 compound words that contain lay. The most common are listed below. Open lay in the live search for definitions, filters, and the full list.
Phrases 144
- lay downTo give up, surrender, or yield (e.g. a weapon), usually by placing it on the ground.
- lay outTo expend or contribute money to an expense or purchase.
- lay off(of an employer) To dismiss (workers) from employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume or through no fault of the worker, often with a severance package.
- lay down the lawTo promulgate law.
- lay backTo lie down on one's back; to lie back.
- lay the groundworkTo create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.
- lay claimTo state that something belongs to oneself.
- lay in statesimple past of lie in state
- lay a foundationUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lay, foundation.
- lay peopleplural of lay person: A person who is not a cleric.
- lay down onTo fail in a responsibility or duty to (a person); to abandon (a post).
- lay lowTo topple or overcome; to cause to fall; (of a person) to knock out.
- lay brotherA layman who is a member of a religious congregation or monastic order without the intention to become a priest.
- lay judgeA lay person who acts as (or is) a judge, or who assists a (professional) judge, in a court proceeding (especially in jurisdictions which do not use juries).
- lay upTo store; to put by.
- lay the woodto deliver a strong, powerful hit or play
- lay wasteTo completely destroy, especially of a geographical area or region.
- Boon LayA neighbourhood in Jurong West, Singapore.
- lay of the landThe physical characteristics of the terrain or surrounding natural environment.
- lay the dustTo consume an alcoholic drink.
- lay the tableSynonym of set the table (“to arrange plates, dishes, etc. in preparation for a meal”).
- lay awayTo reserve (something) for the future.
- lay figureA jointed model of the human body used by artists, or to display clothes.
- lay in honorsimple past of lie in honor
- lay eggsTo produce a string of failures or flops.
Compound words 126
- layerA single thickness of some material covering a surface.
- overlayTo lay, spread, or apply (something) over or across (something else); to overspread.
- laymanLayperson, someone who is not an ordained cleric or member of the clergy.
- layupA close-range shot in which the shooter banks the ball off the backboard from a few feet away.
- belayTo make (a rope) fast by turning it around a fastening point such as a cleat.
- underlaysimple past of underlie
- allayTo make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
- layoverA break between stages of a journey.
- layaboutA lazy person.
- waylayTo lie in wait for and attack from ambush.