English Words Starting With L

• lay off

  nounverbHigh
  /ˌleɪ ˈɒf/To dismiss employees from work, usually temporarily or due to economic reasons.
• lay on

  verbC1
  /ˌleɪ ˈɒn/To provide or supply something generously or to arrange an event.
• lay out

  nounverbB1
  /ˌleɪ ˈaʊt/To arrange or spread things in a clear, organised way, often in a specific location.
• lay over

  nounverbB2
  /ˈleɪ əʊvə(r)/A noun referring to a stop or brief stay during a journey, especially in air travel, before continuing to a final destination.
• lay person

  nounC1
  /ˌleɪ ˈpɜː.sən/A person who does not have specialized knowledge or professional training in a particular subject or field.
• lay reader

  nounLow
  /ˌleɪ ˈriːdə/A layperson in a Christian church (especially Anglican/Episcopal) who is authorized to lead certain parts of a religious service, such as reading scripture, but is not ordained.
• lay sister

  nounLow (Specialised)
  /ˌleɪ ˈsɪstə(r)/A woman who is a member of a religious order but has not taken full vows and is primarily engaged in domestic or manual work rather than formal liturgical duties.
• lay to

  verbLow
  /leɪ tuː/To bring a ship to a stop, especially by turning it into the wind; to cease activity or effort.
• lay up

  nounverbB2
  /ˌleɪ ˈʌp/To store or put something aside for future use; to disable or confine someone, especially due to illness or injury.
• lay vicar

  nounVery Low
  /ˌleɪ ˈvɪk.ə/A cleric in minor orders or a deputy appointed to perform some of the duties of a vicar, especially in the Church of England; historically, a person who assists in church services but is not ordained as a priest.
• lay-by

  nounverbHigh in UK; Low/Technical in US (as 'lay-by' for retail); US uses different terms for road feature.
  /ˈleɪbaɪ/A designated area at the side of a road where vehicles can stop temporarily out of the flow of traffic, often for rest, waiting, or to let a faster vehicle pass.
• layabout

  nounverbB2
  /ˈleɪəbaʊt/A lazy, idle person who avoids work or effort.
• layamon

  nounVery Low
  /ˈlaɪəmən/A proper noun referring to a late 12th/early 13th century English poet, author of the Brut, a chronicle of British history.
• layard

  nounRare / Obscure
  /ˈleɪ.əd/A proper noun referring to a specific person, most notably Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817-1894), the 19th-century British archaeologist, politician, and diplomat.
• layaway

  nounMedium
  /ˈleɪəweɪ/A retail payment method where a customer pays for an item in installments before taking possession.
• layaway plan

  nounC1
  /ˈleɪəweɪ plæn/A retail service where a customer reserves an item by making incremental payments until it is fully paid for and can be collected.
• layback

  nounLow
  /ˈleɪbæk/A climbing or skating technique where the body leans back away from the hold or surface for leverage.
• laydeez

  plural-nounVery Low
  /ˈleɪ.diːz/An eye-dialect, playful, or non-standard phonetic spelling of the word 'ladies'.
• laydown

  nounLow
  /ˈleɪdaʊn/To place something down in a horizontal position, often deliberately or as a set procedure; or, a mandatory action or requirement (particularly in business/finance).
• layer

  nounverbverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveB1
  /ˈleɪ.ə/A single thickness or stratum of a material covering a surface or forming part of a structure.

Showing 1501–1520 of 5456 words.