Part 616

||Lax*a"tor (?), n. [NL., fr. L. laxare, laxatum, to loosen.] (Anat.) ||That which loosens; -- esp., a muscle which by its contraction ||loosens some part. || Lax"i*ty (lks"*t), n. [L. laxitas, fr. laxus loose, slack: cf. F. laxité, See Lax, a.] The state or quality of being lax; want of tenseness, strictness, or exactness.

Lax"ly, adv. In a lax manner.

Lax"ness, n. The state of being lax; laxity.

Lay (?), imp. of Lie, to recline.

Lay, a. [F. lai, L. laicus, Gr. &?; of or from the people, lay, from &?;, &?;, people. Cf. Laic.] 1. Of or pertaining to the laity, as distinct from the clergy; as, a lay person; a lay preacher; a lay brother.

2. Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.[Obs.]

3. Not belonging to, or emanating from, a particular profession; unprofessional; as, a lay opinion regarding the nature of a disease.

Lay baptism (Eccl.), baptism administered by a lay person. F. G. Lee. -- Lay brother (R. C. Ch.), one received into a convent of monks under the three vows, but not in holy orders. -- Lay clerk (Eccl.), a layman who leads the responses of the congregation, etc., in the church service. Hook. -- Lay days (Com.), time allowed in a charter party for taking in and discharging cargo. McElrath. -- Lay elder. See 2d Elder, 3, note.

Lay (?), n. The laity; the common people. [Obs.]

The learned have no more privilege than the lay.

B. Jonson.

Lay, n. A meadow. See Lea. [Obs.] Dryden.

Lay, n. [OF. lei faith, law, F. loi law. See Legal.] 1. Faith; creed; religious profession. [Obs.]

Of the sect to which that he was born He kept his lay, to which that he was sworn.

Chaucer.

2. A law. [Obs.] "Many goodly lays." Spenser.

3. An obligation; a vow. [Obs.]

They bound themselves by a sacred lay and oath.

Holland.

Lay (?), a. [OF. lai, lais, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. laoi, laoidh, song, poem, OIr. laoidh poem, verse; but cf. also AS. lc play, sport, G. leich a sort of poem (cf. Lake to sport). &?;.] 1. A song; a simple lyrical poem; a ballad. Spenser. Sir W. Scott.

2. A melody; any musical utterance.

The throstle cock made eke his lay.

Chaucer.

Lay (l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Laid (ld); 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.

A stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den.

Dan. vi. 17.

Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid.

Milton.