Chapter 886

Syn. -- Justice; equity. -- Law , Statute , Common law , Regulation , Edict , Decree . Law is generic, and, when used with reference to, or in connection with, the other words here considered, denotes whatever is commanded by one who has a right to require obedience. A statute is a particular law drawn out in form, and distinctly enacted and proclaimed. Common law is a rule of action founded on long usage and the decisions of courts of justice. A regulation is a limited and often, temporary law, intended to secure some particular end or object. An edict is a command or law issued by a sovereign, and is peculiar to a despotic government. A decree is a permanent order either of a court or of the executive government. See Justice .

Law <Xpage=835>

Law (?) , v. t. Same as Lawe , v. t. [Obs.]

Law <Xpage=835>

Law , interj. [Cf. La .] An exclamation of mild surprise. [Archaic or Low]

Law-abiding <Xpage=835>

Law"-a*bid`ing (?) , a. Abiding the law; waiting for the operation of law for the enforcement of rights; also, abiding by the law; obedient to the law; as, law-abiding people .

Lawbreaker <Xpage=835>

Law"break`er (?) , n. One who disobeys the law; a criminal. -- Law"break`ing , n. & a.

Lawe <Xpage=835>

Lawe (?) , v. t. [See 2d Lawing .] To cut off the claws and balls of, as of a dog's fore feet.

Wright.

Lawer <Xpage=835>

Law"er (?) , n. A lawyer. [Obs.]

Bale.

Lawful <Xpage=835>

Law"ful (?) , a. 1. Conformable to law; allowed by law; legitimate; competent.

2. Constituted or authorized by law; rightful; as, the lawful owner of lands .

Lawful age , the age when the law recognizes one's right of independent action; majority; -- generally the age of twenty-one years. <-- = legal age -->

&hand; In some of the States, and for some purposes, a woman attains lawful age at eighteen. Abbott.

Syn. -- Legal; constitutional; allowable; regular; rightful. -- Lawful , Legal . Lawful means conformable to the principle, spirit, or essence of the law, and is applicable to moral as well as juridical law. Legal means conformable to the letter or rules of the law as it is administered in the courts; conformable to juridical law. Legal is often used as antithetical to equitable , but lawful is seldom used in that sense.

-- Law"ful*ly , adv. -- Law"ful*ness , n.

Lawgiver <Xpage=835>

Law"giv`er (?) , n. One who makes or enacts a law or system of laws; a legislator.

Lawgiving <Xpage=835>

Law"giv`ing , a. Enacting laws; legislative.

Lawing <Xpage=835>

Law"ing , n. Going to law; litigation.

Holinshed.

Lawing <Xpage=835>

Law"ing , n. [So called because done in compliance with an English forest law .] Expeditation.

Blackstone.

Lawless <Xpage=835>

Law"less , a. 1. Contrary to, or unauthorized by, law; illegal; as, a lawless claim .

He needs no indirect nor lawless course. Shak.

2. Not subject to, or restrained by, the law of morality or of society; as, lawless men or behavior .

3. Not subject to the laws of nature; uncontrolled.

Or, meteorlike, flame lawless through the void. Pope.

-- Law"less*ly , adv. -- Law"less*ness , n.

Lawmaker <Xpage=835>

Law"mak`er (?) , n. A legislator; a lawgiver.

<page="836"> Page 836

Lammaking <Xpage=836>

Lam"mak`ing (?) , a. Enacting laws; legislative. -- n. The enacting of laws; legislation.

Lawmonger <Xpage=836>

Law"mon`ger (?) , n. A trader in law; one who practices law as if it were a trade.

Milton.

Lawn <Xpage=836>

Lawn (?) , n. [OE. laund , launde , F. lande heath, moor; of Celtic origin; cf. W. llan an open, clear place, llawnt a smooth rising hill, lawn, Armor. lann or lan territory, country, lann a prickly plant, pl. lannou heath, moor.] 1. An open space between woods.

Milton.

"Orchard lawns and bowery hollows." Tennyson.

2. Ground (generally in front of or around a house) covered with grass kept closely mown.

Lawn mower , a machine for clipping the short grass of lawns. -- Lawn tennis , a variety of the game of tennis, played in the open air, sometimes upon a lawn, instead of in a tennis court. See Tennis .

Lawm <Xpage=836>

Lawm , n. [Earlier laune lynen , i. e., lawn linen ; prob. from the town Laon in France.] A very fine linen (or sometimes cotton) fabric with a rather open texture. Lawn is used for the sleeves of a bishop's official dress in the English Church, and, figuratively, stands for the office itself.

A saint in crape is twice in lawn . Pope.

Lawnd <Xpage=836>

Lawnd (?) , n. [Obs.] See Laund .

Lawny <Xpage=836>

Lawn"y (?) , a. Having a lawn; characterized by a lawn or by lawns; like a lawn.

Musing through the lawny park. T. Warton.

Lawny <Xpage=836>

Lawn"y , a. Made of lawn or fine linen.

Bp. Hall.

Lawsonia <Xpage=836>

Law*so"ni*a (?) , n. (Bot.) An Asiatic and North African shrub ( Lawsonia inermis ), with smooth oval leaves, and fragrant white flowers. Henna is prepared from the leaves and twigs. In England the shrub is called Egyptian privet , and in the West Indies, Jamaica mignonette .

Lawsuit <Xpage=836>

Law"suit` (?) , n. An action at law; a suit in equity or admiralty; any legal proceeding before a court for the enforcement of a claim.

Lawyer <Xpage=836>

Law"yer (?) , n. [From Law , like bowyer , fr. bow .] 1. One versed in the laws, or a practitioner of law; one whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients, or to advise as to prosecution or defence of lawsuits, or as to legal rights and obligations in other matters. It is a general term, comprehending attorneys, counselors, solicitors, barristers, sergeants, and advocates.

2. (Zo\'94l.) (a) The black-necked stilt. See Stilt . (b) The bowfin ( Amia calva ). (c) The burbot ( Lota maculosa ).

Lawyerlike, Lawyerly <Xpage=836>

Law"yer*like` (?) , Law"yer*ly (?) , a. Like, or becoming, a lawyer; as, lawyerlike sagacity . " Lawyerly mooting of this point."

Milton.

Lax <Xpage=836>

Lax (?) , a. [ Compar. Laxer (?) ; superl. Laxest .] [L. laxus Cf. Laches , Languish , Lease , v. t. , Leash .] 1. Not tense, firm, or rigid; loose; slack; as, a lax bandage; lax fiber.

The flesh of that sort of fish being lax and spongy. Ray.

2. Not strict or stringent; not exact; loose; weak; vague; equivocal.

The discipline was lax . Macaulay.

Society at that epoch was lenient, if not lax , in matters of the passions. J. A. Symonds.

The word "\'91ternus" itself is sometimes of a lax signification. Jortin.

3. Having a looseness of the bowels; diarrheal.

Syn. -- Loose; slack; vague; unconfined; unrestrained; dissolute; licentious.

Lax <Xpage=836>

Lax , n. A looseness; diarrhea.

Laxation <Xpage=836>

Lax*a"tion (?) , n. [L. laxatio , fr. laxare to loosen, fr. laxus loose, slack.] The act of loosening or slackening, or the state of being loosened or slackened.

Laxative <Xpage=836>

Lax"a*tive (?) , a. [L. laxativus mitigating, assuaging: cf. F. laxatif . See Lax , a. ] 1. Having a tendency to loosen or relax.

Milton.

2. (Med.) Having the effect of loosening or opening the intestines, and relieving from constipation; -- opposed to astringent . -- n. (Med.) A laxative medicine. See the Note under Cathartic .

Laxativeness <Xpage=836>

Lax"a*tive*ness , n. The quality of being laxative.

Laxator <Xpage=836>

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.

Laxi-ty <Xpage=836>

Lax"i-ty (?) , n. [L. laxitas , fr. laxus loose, slack: cf. F. laxit\'82 , See Lax , a. ] The state or quality of being lax; want of tenseness, strictness, or exactness.

Laxly <Xpage=836>

Lax"ly , adv. In a lax manner.

Laxness <Xpage=836>

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

Lay <Xpage=836>

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

Lay <Xpage=836>

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 <Xpage=836>

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

The learned have no more privilege than the lay . B. Jonson.

Lay <Xpage=836>

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

Dryden.

Lay <Xpage=836>

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 <Xpage=836>

Lay (?) , a. [OF. lai , lais , prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. laoi , laoidh , song, poem, OIr. laoidh poem, verse; but cf. also AS. l\'bec 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 <Xpage=836>

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

2. To place in position; to establish firmly; to arrange with regularity; to dispose in ranks or tiers; as, to lay a corner stone; to lay bricks in a wall; to lay the covers on a table.

3. To prepare; to make ready; to contrive; to provide; as, to lay a snare, an ambush, or a plan .

4. To spread on a surface; as, to lay plaster or paint .

5. To cause to be still; to calm; to allay; to suppress; to exorcise, as an evil spirit.

After a tempest when the winds are laid . Waller.

6. To cause to lie dead or dying.

Brave C\'91neus laid Ortygius on the plain, The victor C\'91neus was by Turnus slain. Dryden.

7. To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk.

I dare lay mine honor He will remain so. Shak.

8. To bring forth and deposit; as, to lay eggs .

9. To apply; to put.

She layeth her hands to the spindle. Prov. xxxi. 19.

10. To impose, as a burden, suffering, or punishment; to assess, as a tax; as, to lay a tax on land .

The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Is. Iiii. 6.

11. To impute; to charge; to allege.

God layeth not folly to them. Job xxiv. 12.

Lay the fault on us. Shak.

12. To impose, as a command or a duty; as, to lay commands on one .

13. To present or offer; as, to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one.

14. (Law) To state; to allege; as, to lay the venue .

Bouvier.

15. (Mil.) To point; to aim; as, to lay a gun .

16. (Rope Making) To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them; as, to lay a cable or rope .

17. (Print.) (a) To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone. (b) To place (new type) properly in the cases.

To lay asleep , to put sleep; to make unobservant or careless. Bacon . -- To lay bare , to make bare; to strip.

And laid those proud roofs bare to summer's rain. Byron.

-- To lay before , to present to; to submit for consideration; as, the papers are laid before Congress . -- To lay by . (a) To save. (b) To discard .

Let brave spirits . . . not be laid by . Bacon.

-- To lay by the heels , to put in the stocks. Shak . -- To lay down . (a) To stake as a wager. (b) To yield; to relinquish; to surrender; as, to lay down one's life; to lay down one's arms . (c) To assert or advance, as a proposition or principle. -- To lay forth . (a) To extend at length; (reflexively) to exert one's self; to expatiate. [Obs.] (b) To lay out (as a corpse). [Obs.] Shak . -- To lay hands on , to seize. -- To lay hands on one's self , or To lay violent hands on one's self , to injure one's self; specif., to commit suicide. -- To lay heads together , to consult. -- To lay hold of , &or; To lay hold on , to seize; to catch. -- To lay in , to store; to provide. -- To lay it on , to apply without stint. Shak . -- To lay on , to apply with force; to inflict; as, to lay on blows . -- To lay on load , to lay on blows; to strike violently. [Obs. &or; Archaic] -- To lay one's self out , to strive earnestly.

No selfish man will be concerned to lay out himself for the good of his country. Smalridge.

-- To lay one's self open to , to expose one's self to, as to an accusation. -- To lay open , to open; to uncover; to expose; to reveal. -- To lay over , to spread over; to cover. -- To lay out . (a) To expend. Macaulay . (b) To display; to discover . (c) To plan in detail; to arrange; as, to lay out a garden . (d) To prepare for burial; as, to lay out a corpse . (e) To exert; as, to lay out all one's strength . -- To lay siege to . (a) To besiege; to encompass with an army. (b) To beset pertinaciously. -- To lay the course (Naut.) , to sail toward the port intended without jibing. -- To lay the land (Naut.) , to cause it to disappear below the horizon, by sailing away from it. -- To lay to (a) To charge upon; to impute. (b) To apply with vigor . (c) To attack or harass . [Obs.] Knolles . (d) (Naut.) To check the motion of (a vessel) and cause it to be stationary. -- To lay to heart , to feel deeply; to consider earnestly. -- To lay under , to subject to; as, to lay under obligation or restraint . -- To lay unto . (a) Same as To lay to (above). (b) To put before . Hos. xi. 4 . -- To lay up . (a) To store; to reposit for future use. (b) To confine; to disable . (c) To dismantle, and retire from active service, as a ship. -- To lay wait for , to lie in ambush for. -- To lay waste , to destroy; to make desolate; as, to lay waste the land .

Syn. -- See Put , v. t. , and the Note under 4th Lie .

Lay <Xpage=836>

Lay , v. i. 1. To produce and deposit eggs.

2. (Naut.) To take a position; to come or go; as, to lay forward; to lay aloft.

3. To lay a wager; to bet.

To lay about , &or; To lay about one , to strike vigorously in all directions. J. H. Newman . -- To lay at , to strike or strike at. Spenser . -- To lay for , to prepare to capture or assault; to lay wait for. [Colloq.] Bp Hall . -- To lay in for , to make overtures for; to engage or secure the possession of. [Obs.] "I have laid in for these." Dryden . -- To lay on , to strike; to beat; to attack. Shak . -- To lay out , to purpose; to plan; as, he lays out to make a journey .

Lay <Xpage=836>

Lay (?) , n. 1. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood .

Addison.

A viol should have a lay of wire strings below. Bacon.

&hand; The lay of a rope is right-handed or left-handed according to the hemp or strands are laid up. See Lay , v. t. , 16. The lay of land is its topographical situation, esp. its slope and its surface features.

2. A wager. "My fortunes against any lay worth naming."

3. (a) A job, price, or profit. [Prov. Eng.] Wright . (b) A share of the proceeds or profits of an enterprise; as, when a man ships for a whaling voyage, he agrees for a certain lay . [U. S.]

4. (Textile Manuf.) (a) A measure of yarn; a les. See 1st Lea (a) . (b) The lathe of a loom. See Lathe , 8.