lay down

verb

laid down; laying down; lays down

transitive verb

1
: to give up : surrender
lay down your arms
2
a
: establish, prescribe
lay down a scale for a map
b
: to assert or command dogmatically
lay down the law
3
a
: store, preserve
laid down a young wine
b
: record
laying down songs for their new album
4
a
: to direct toward a target
lay down a barrage
b
: to hit along the ground
laid down a sacrifice bunt

intransitive verb

nonstandard : to lie down

Examples of lay down in a Sentence

the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments
Recent Examples on the Web Bowers also appreciates having a more compressed period of time to lay down his ideas and get the right colors and tone for the music. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2024 Disney and his team brought Mickey Mouse and the gang to life in a convincing way by laying down serious rules about movement, weight, volume and gravity. Mike Murchison, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 The there are the hundreds pictures of the Black community, which began laying down roots in the neighborhood starting at the turn of the last century. Samantha Conti, WWD, 18 Oct. 2024 After the machine was explained to me, I was taught how to properly lay down on the contraption and instructed to lie still while the machine scanned me like a TSA bin. Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lay down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lay down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lay down was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near lay down

Cite this Entry

“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20down. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lay down

verb
1
: establish sense 1, prescribe
lay down standards
2
: to state or declare forcefully
lay down the law

More from Merriam-Webster on lay down

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