Lay is also the past tense of lie: I lay on the bed. Don’t say: I laid on the bed. lie Someone lies somewhere: She was lying on her back. Let’s just lie here for a while. Don’t say: She was laying on her back. | Let’s just lay here for a while.
Lay is often used where lie is considered standard, as in "I'm going to lay down for a quick nap." The use, which dates to the 14th century, troubled no one until the 18th, but since then, people who care about such things have tried to teach the rest of us that a person lies, not lays, down.
Lay commonly means to put or place someone or something down, as in Lay the bags on the table or I’m going to lay the baby in the crib. The sense of lie that’s often confused with lay means to be in or get into a reclining position—to recline, as in I just want to lie in bed for a few more minutes.
Lay is a transitive verb, and it is also a past tense of another verb, lie. To lay something somewhere means to put it there carefully or neatly. Lay a sheet of newspaper on the floor. The other forms of lay are lays, laying, laid. Michael laid the box on the table gently. ‘I couldn’t get a taxi,' she said, laying her hand on Nick's sleeve.
LAY definition: 1. to put something in especially a flat or horizontal position, usually carefully or for a…. Learn more.
To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another. To produce and deposit (an egg or eggs). The hen laid an egg. Did dinosaurs lay their eggs in a nest? To bet (that something is or is not the case). I'll lay that he doesn't turn up on Monday.