What Does Lay Mean?

          The word lay has many meanings in its verb form. It means to put down, especially gently or carefully. It may also have a vulgar meaning 'to have sexual intercourse with'. It may also mean to trim (a hedge) by cutting the branches half through, bending them down and interweaving them.

          In its noun form it may also mean the laying of eggs or period during which they are laid. It may also mean a person who does not have professional qualifications or expert knowledge. Some of the phrases which make use of lay are: Lay claim to, lay hands to, lay hold of, lay someone low, lay something on thick, lay someone open to, lay someone/thing to rest.

          You can also find the meaning of the word lay in a dictionary or you can also refer to an online dictionary on the internet. The Webster's dictionary even helps you how to pronounce the word by playing a small audio of the word 'lay'.

          The following link will help you view the online dictionary for more information:  www.webster.com/

One of the most common mistakes in English is confusing "lay" with "lie." A typical mistake is to say, for example, "I'd like to lay on the beach all day."

In fact "lay" is a transitive verb, which means it should only be used with an object. "To lay something (down)" means to put or place it, usually on a surface ("He laid his cards on the table.")

"Lie," on the other hand, is intransitive, which means it has no object (you can lie down, but you can't lie something/ someone else down, you can only lie ON, or under, something.) So the correct sentence would be: "I'd like to lie on the beach all day."

Confusion is also caused by the past forms of these verbs: the past of "lie" is "lay", while the past of "lay" is "laid." So you could say, "I lay on the beach all day yesterday" or "My hens laid some eggs yesterday."

Lay also has a slang meaning, especially in American English; "to lay someone" means to have sex with them.