LAYS Meaning and
Definition
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Lays is a verb derived from the infinitive "lay" and its past tense and past participle form. It is used to describe the action of putting or placing something in a horizontal or flat position. Additionally, "lays" can also represent the action of setting or positioning something or someone in a particular location or position.
In a literal sense, "lays" implies the act of placing an object or objects down on a surface or spreading them out evenly. For example, one lays the dinnerware on the table before a meal or lays the ingredients on the counter while cooking.
Moreover, "lays" can be used figuratively to describe positioning or establishing something or someone in a certain way or location. This can refer to organizing or arranging various aspects or elements of a situation or setting. For instance, one lays the groundwork for a project or lays the foundation for a successful business.
Furthermore, "lays" can also refer to the act of presenting a claim, argument, or statement before an audience or reader. It signifies the act of formally expressing or asserting something. For example, one lays out their case in a court, or a writer lays out their arguments in an essay.
Overall, "lays" encompasses actions related to placing, positioning, distributing, organizing, presenting, or expressing something or someone in a literal or figurative manner.
Top Common Misspellings for LAYS *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for LAYS
Etymology of LAYS
The word "lays" has multiple meanings and therefore multiple etymologies. Here are the main ones:
1. As a noun meaning "short narrative or song" or "[Caribbean] narrative poem":
- From Middle English "lay" or "laye", borrowed from Anglo-Norman "lay" or Old French "lai".
- Derived from Late Latin "latus", meaning "song".
- Ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "leit", meaning "to sing".
2. As a verb meaning "to place or put down":
- From Middle English "layen" or "legen", derived from Old English "lecgan".
- Derived from Proto-Germanic "ligjaną".
- Ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "legh-", meaning "to lie down".
3.
Idioms with the word LAYS
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kill the goose that lays the golden egg
The idiom "kill the goose that lays the golden egg" means to ruin a profitable or valuable opportunity by being greedy or short-sighted. It refers to a fable in which a farmer finds a goose that lays golden eggs, providing him with great wealth. However, in his impatience, he decides to cut open the goose to obtain all the gold at once, thereby losing the ongoing source of wealth.
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Kill the goose that lays the golden egg(s).
"Kill the goose that lays the golden egg(s)" is an idiom that refers to the act of destroying a valuable or productive resource while attempting to gain immediate and excessive benefits from it. The phrase originates from Aesop's fable about a farmer who kills the goose that lays golden eggs in an attempt to get all the gold inside at once, ultimately leading to his loss of a continuing source of wealth. Therefore, the idiom warns against short-sighted actions that prioritize immediate gains at the expense of long-term sustainability or prosperity.
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kill the goose that lays the golden egg/eggs
The idiom "kill the goose that lays the golden egg/eggs" means to ruin or destroy a valuable or profitable source of income, success, or opportunity due to short-sighted or reckless actions. It warns against sacrificing long-term benefits for immediate gains. The phrase originates from a fable called "The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs," where a foolish farmer kills the goose hoping to retrieve all the golden eggs at once, only to find nothing inside, losing the potential future benefits.
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kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
The idiom "kill the goose that lays the golden eggs" refers to a short-sighted or thoughtless action that ruins a valuable or profitable asset out of greed, impatience, or ignorance. It suggests that by destroying the source of something beneficial in the pursuit of immediate gain, one ultimately loses the long-term benefits and potential future rewards.
Similar spelling words for LAYS
- lassie,
- lass,
- LACH,
- lack,
- lakh,
- laskey,
- laius,
- lago,
- lacy,
- lasko,
- slays,
- lasso,
- laze,
- lag,
- Laci,
- lay,
- Lashay,
- lawes,
- lasch,
- Plays,
- lackey,
- lags,
- lassa,
- says,
- LAPS,
- laws,
- lace,
- Lashway,
- Lakey,
- pays,
- Lashua,
- lash,
- laakso,
- laska,
- laos,
- lazo,
- lake,
- lazy,
- Lacey,
- lac,
- lax,
- Lasky,
- LAGE,
- laic,
- Laux.
Conjugate verb Lays
CONDITIONAL
I
would lay
we
would lay
you
would lay
he/she/it
would lay
they
would lay
FUTURE
I
will lay
we
will lay
you
will lay
he/she/it
will lay
they
will lay
FUTURE PERFECT
I
will have laid
we
will have laid
you
will have laid
he/she/it
will have laid
they
will have laid
PAST
I
laid
we
laid
you
laid
he/she/it
laid
they
laid
PAST PERFECT
I
had laid
we
had laid
you
had laid
he/she/it
had laid
they
had laid
PRESENT
I
lay
we
lay
you
lay
he/she/it
lays
they
lay
PRESENT PERFECT
I
have laid
we
have laid
you
have laid
he/she/it
has laid
they
have laid
I
am laying
we
are laying
you
are laying
he/she/it
is laying
they
are laying
I
was laying
we
were laying
you
were laying
he/she/it
was laying
they
were laying
I
will be laying
we
will be laying
you
will be laying
he/she/it
will be laying
they
will be laying
I
have been laying
we
have been laying
you
have been laying
he/she/it
has been laying
they
have been laying
I
had been laying
we
had been laying
you
had been laying
he/she/it
had been laying
they
had been laying
I
will have been laying
we
will have been laying
you
will have been laying
he/she/it
will have been laying
they
will have been laying
I
would have laid
we
would have laid
you
would have laid
he/she/it
would have laid
they
would have laid
I
would be laying
we
would be laying
you
would be laying
he/she/it
would be laying
they
would be laying
I
would have been laying
we
would have been laying
you
would have been laying
he/she/it
would have been laying
they
would have been laying
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