catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  Lie \Lie\, v. i. [imp. Lay (l[=a]); p. p. Lain (l[=a]n),
     ({Lien (l[imac]"[e^]n), Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Lying.]
     [OE. lien, liggen, AS. licgan; akin to D. liggen, OHG. ligen,
     licken, G. liegen, Icel. liggja, Sw. ligga, Dan. ligge, Goth.
     ligan, Russ. lejate, L. lectus bed, Gr. le`chos bed,
     le`xasqai to lie. Cf. Lair, Law, Lay, v. t., Litter,
     Low, adj.]
     1. To rest extended on the ground, a bed, or any support; to
        be, or to put one's self, in an horizontal position, or
        nearly so; to be prostate; to be stretched out; -- often
        with down, when predicated of living creatures; as, the
        book lies on the table; the snow lies on the roof; he lies
        in his coffin.
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              The watchful traveler . . .
              Lay down again, and closed his weary eyes. --Dryden.
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     2. To be situated; to occupy a certain place; as, Ireland
        lies west of England; the meadows lie along the river; the
        ship lay in port.
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     3. To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in
        a certain state or condition; as, to lie waste; to lie
        fallow; to lie open; to lie hid; to lie grieving; to lie
        under one's displeasure; to lie at the mercy of the waves;
        the paper does not lie smooth on the wall.
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     4. To be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding
        place; to consist; -- with in.
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              Envy lies between beings equal in nature, though
              unequal in circumstances.             --Collier.
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              He that thinks that diversion may not lie in hard
              labor, forgets the early rising and hard riding of
              huntsmen.                             --Locke.
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     5. To lodge; to sleep.
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              Whiles I was now trifling at home, I saw London, . .
              . where I lay one night only.         --Evelyn.
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              Mr. Quinion lay at our house that night. --Dickens.
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     6. To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest.
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              The wind is loud and will not lie.    --Shak.
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     7. (Law) To be sustainable; to be capable of being
        maintained. ``An appeal lies in this case.'' --Parsons.
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     Note: Through ignorance or carelessness speakers and writers
           often confuse the forms of the two distinct verbs lay
           and lie. Lay is a transitive verb, and has for its
           preterit laid; as, he told me to lay it down, and I
           laid it down. Lie is intransitive, and has for its
           preterit lay; as, he told me to lie down, and I lay
           down. Some persons blunder by using laid for the
           preterit of lie; as, he told me to lie down, and I laid
           down. So persons often say incorrectly, the ship laid
           at anchor; they laid by during the storm; the book was
           laying on the shelf, etc. It is only necessary to
           remember, in all such cases, that laid is the preterit
           of lay, and not of lie.
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     To lie along the shore (Naut.), to coast, keeping land in
        sight.
  
     To lie at the door of, to be imputable to; as, the sin,
        blame, etc., lies at your door.
  
     To lie at the heart, to be an object of affection, desire,
        or anxiety. --Sir W. Temple.
  
     To lie at the mercy of, to be in the power of.
  
     To lie by.
        (a) To remain with; to be at hand; as, he has the
            manuscript lying by him.
        (b) To rest; to intermit labor; as, we lay by during the
            heat of the day.
  
     To lie hard or To lie heavy, to press or weigh; to bear
        hard.
  
     To lie in, to be in childbed; to bring forth young.
  
     To lie in one, to be in the power of; to belong to. ``As
        much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.''
        --Rom. xii. 18.
  
     To lie in the way, to be an obstacle or impediment.
  
     To lie in wait, to wait in concealment; to lie in ambush.
        
  
     To lie on or To lie upon.
        (a) To depend on; as, his life lies on the result.
        (b) To bear, rest, press, or weigh on.
  
     To lie low, to remain in concealment or inactive. [Slang]
        
  
     To lie on hand,
  
     To lie on one's hands, to remain unsold or unused; as, the
        goods are still lying on his hands; they have too much
        time lying on their hands.
  
     To lie on the head of, to be imputed to.
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              What he gets more of her than sharp words, let it
              lie on my head.                       --Shak.
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     To lie over.
        (a) To remain unpaid after the time when payment is due,
            as a note in bank.
        (b) To be deferred to some future occasion, as a
            resolution in a public deliberative body.
  
     To lie to (Naut.), to stop or delay; especially, to head as
        near the wind as possible as being the position of
        greatest safety in a gale; -- said of a ship. Cf. To
        bring to, under Bring.
  
     To lie under, to be subject to; to suffer; to be oppressed
        by.
  
     To lie with.
        (a) To lodge or sleep with.
        (b) To have sexual intercourse with.
        (c) To belong to; as, it lies with you to make amends.
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