Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lay down

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.62 in modern English

Syllables: lay -down
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To give up, surrender, or yield (e.g. a weapon), usually by placing it on the ground.

Transitive verb

verb

To place or install on the ground, e.g. a railway on a trackbed.

verb

To intentionally take a fall while riding a motorcycle, in order to prevent a more serious collision.

Transitive verb

verb

To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate (rules or policies).

Transitive verb

verb

To stock, store (e.g. wine) for the future. See also lay by.

verb

To kill (someone).

Dated; Transitive verb

verb

To euthanize an animal.

Transitive verb

verb

To sacrifice, especially in the phrase "to lay down one's life."

Example Sentences

"The police urged the gunman to lay down his weapon."
"Lay down your arms."
"lay down a mat; lay down asphalt; lay down a road"
"Two standard types of flat-bottom track were introduced as early as 1949, and some 1,570 miles had been laid down to the end of 1950."
"He also thought nothing of laying down a railway in a war zone. For example, he was one of those behind the Grand Crimean Central Railway, built during the Crimean War [...]."
"He laid down his brand-new Harley-Davidson to avoid the oncoming bus."

Etymology

From Middle English leyen doun, leien doun (“to lay down”), equivalent to lay + down.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: leyen doun

Usage

Inflected Forms

lays down (present, singular) laying down (participle, present) laid down (participle, past) laid down (past)

Phrases

lay down one's arms lay down one's flag lay down one's life lay down one's weapons lay down the law lay down the marker

Synonyms

establish make

Questions

What does lay down mean?: To give up, surrender, or yield (e.g. a weapon), usually by placing it on the ground.
Where does lay down come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce lay down

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