To lay the course

Lay Lay (l[=a]), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Laid} (l[=a]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Laying}.] [OE. leggen, AS. lecgan, causative, fr. licgan to lie; akin to D. leggen, G. legen, Icel. leggja, Goth. lagjan. See {Lie} to be prostrate.] 1. To cause to lie down, to be prostrate, or to lie against something; to put or set down; to deposit; as, to lay a book on the table; to lay a body in the grave; a shower lays the dust. [1913 Webster]

A stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den. --Dan. vi. 17. [1913 Webster]

Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. To place in position; to establish firmly; to arrange with regularity; to dispose in ranks or tiers; as, to lay a corner stone; to lay bricks in a wall; to lay the covers on a table. [1913 Webster]

3. To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan. [1913 Webster]

4. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint. [1913 Webster]

5. To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit. [1913 Webster]

After a tempest when the winds are laid. --Waller. [1913 Webster]

6. To cause to lie dead or dying. [1913 Webster]

Brave C[ae]neus laid Ortygius on the plain, The victor C[ae]neus was by Turnus slain. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

7. To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk. [1913 Webster]

I dare lay mine honor He will remain so. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

8. To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs. [1913 Webster]

9. To apply; to put. [1913 Webster]

She layeth her hands to the spindle. --Prov. xxxi. 19. [1913 Webster]

10. To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land. [1913 Webster]

The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. --Is. liii. 6. [1913 Webster]

11. To impute; to charge; to allege. [1913 Webster]

God layeth not folly to them. --Job xxiv. 12. [1913 Webster]

Lay the fault on us. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

12. To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one. [1913 Webster]

13. To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one. [1913 Webster]

14. (Law) To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue. --Bouvier. [1913 Webster]

15. (Mil.) To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun. [1913 Webster]

16. (Rope Making) To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them; as, to lay a cable or rope. [1913 Webster]

17. (Print.) (a) To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone. (b) To place (new type) properly in the cases. [1913 Webster]

{To lay asleep}, to put sleep; to make unobservant or careless. --Bacon.

{To lay bare}, to make bare; to strip. [1913 Webster]

And laid those proud roofs bare to summer's rain. --Byron.

{To lay before}, to present to; to submit for consideration; as, the papers are laid before Congress.

{To lay by}. (a) To save. (b) To discard. [1913 Webster]

Let brave spirits . . . not be laid by. --Bacon.

{To lay by the heels}, to put in the stocks. --Shak.

{To lay down}. (a) To stake as a wager. (b) To yield; to relinquish; to surrender; as, to lay down one's life; to lay down one's arms. (c) To assert or advance, as a proposition or principle.

{To lay forth}. (a) To extend at length; (reflexively) to exert one's self; to expatiate. [Obs.] (b) To lay out (as a corpse). [Obs.] --Shak.

{To lay hands on}, to seize.

{To lay hands on one's self}, or {To lay violent hands on one's self}, to injure one's self; specif., to commit suicide.

{To lay heads together}, to consult.

{To lay hold of}, or {To lay hold on}, to seize; to catch.

{To lay in}, to store; to provide.

{To lay it on}, to apply without stint. --Shak.

{To lay it on thick}, to flatter excessively.

{To lay on}, to apply with force; to inflict; as, to lay on blows.

{To lay on load}, to lay on blows; to strike violently. [Obs. or Archaic]

{To lay one's self out}, to strive earnestly. [1913 Webster]

No selfish man will be concerned to lay out himself for the good of his country. --Smalridge. [1913 Webster]

{To lay one's self open to}, to expose one's self to, as to an accusation.

{To lay open}, to open; to uncover; to expose; to reveal.

{To lay over}, to spread over; to cover.

{To lay out}. (a) To expend. --Macaulay. (b) To display; to discover. (c) To plan in detail; to arrange; as, to lay out a garden. (d) To prepare for burial; as, to lay out a corpse. (e) To exert; as, to lay out all one's strength.

{To lay siege to}. (a) To besiege; to encompass with an army. (b) To beset pertinaciously.

{To lay the course} (Naut.), to sail toward the port intended without jibing.

{To lay the land} (Naut.), to cause it to disappear below the horizon, by sailing away from it.

{To lay to} (a) To charge upon; to impute. (b) To apply with vigor. (c) To attack or harass. [Obs.] --Knolles. (d) (Naut.) To check the motion of (a vessel) and cause it to be stationary.

{To lay to heart}, to feel deeply; to consider earnestly.

{To lay under}, to subject to; as, to lay under obligation or restraint.

{To lay unto}. (a) Same as {To lay to} (above). (b) To put before. --Hos. xi. 4.

{To lay up}. (a) To store; to reposit for future use. (b) To confine; to disable. (c) To dismantle, and retire from active service, as a ship.

{To lay wait for}, to lie in ambush for.

{To lay waste}, to destroy; to make desolate; as, to lay waste the land. [1913 Webster]

Syn: See {Put}, v. t., and the Note under 4th {Lie}. [1913 Webster]