Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lay by the heels

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.96 in modern English

Syllables: lay by the heels
IPA

27

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

1

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To fetter, to shackle; to imprison.

Dated

Example Sentences

"As I live, If the king blame me for 't, I'll lay ye all By the heels , and suddenly; and on your heads Clap round fines , for neglect"
"[M]y Lord Chief Justice Keeling hath laid the constable by the heels to answer it next Sessions: which is a horrid shame."
"I […]could not but wonder that none of the Middlesex justices took care to lay some of them by the heels."
"I read the papers with some attention during my sojourn in France, on the look-out for any chance of laying him by the heels."
"If you will come with us to-night I shall be able to help you to lay him by the heels."

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

lays by the heels (present, singular) laying by the heels (participle, present) laid by the heels (participle, past) laid by the heels (past)

Questions

What does lay by the heels mean?: To fetter, to shackle; to imprison.

How to pronounce lay by the heels

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