ppl. a. [pa. pple. of LAY v.] In various senses of the vb. † Of a design: Deliberately framed. Laid drain (see quot. 1811); laid paper (see quot. 1839); laid wool, tarry wool; laid-work (see COUCHING vbl. sb. 2, quot. 1884). (Cf. best-laid, NEW-LAID.)
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, II. 954. My shoulders broad, and laied neck [L. subjectaque colla] with garments gan I spread.
1697. in Perry, Hist. Coll. Amer. Col. Ch., I. 46. A laid designe to obstruct … the business … of the College.
1720. Ozell, trans. Vertot’s Rom. Rep., I. III. 169. There seemed to be a laid Design of making away with all the Senators.
1733. Berkeley, Vind. Theory Vision, § 5, Wks. 1871, I. 374. I think one may observe a laid design gradually to undermine the belief of the Divine Attributes and Natural Religion.
1790. Grose, Prov. Gloss. (ed. 2), Laid, just frozen. When water is slightly frozen, it is said to be laid. Norf.
1805. Southey, Ballads, etc. Poet. Wks. VI. 266. The Old Dragon’s own laid egs was this.
1805. Forsyth, Beauties Scotl., II. 127. 251/2 lib. of what is called laid wool to the stone.
1811. G. S. Keith, Agric. Surv. Aberd., 426. It is generally found advisable to use a laid drain, i. e. a row of stones laid on each side,… and a course of flat stones laid above these.
1818. J. Hassell, Rides & Walks, II. 106. Mr. Staines manufactures wove drawing papers and laid writing ones.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 373. Observing that the laid wires should be parallel with the axis.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 927. A strong raised wire is laid along each of the cross bars [of the mould] to which the other wires are fastened; this gives the laid paper its ribbed appearance.
1880. Paper & Printing Trades Jrnl., xxx. 8. The thick cream laid paper on which this work is printed.
1886. Pall Mall Gaz., 28 July, 6/1. There are many good standing pieces [of wheat]…. A laid crop being quite a rarity, except in some of the fens.
1900. Westm. Gaz., 10 July, 10/1. Harvest labour … is … much greater for laid fields than for good standing crops.
b. of rope, with some defining word prefixed, as cable-, hawser-, short-, slack-, soft-, twice-laid, for which see the first member.
c. with adverbs, as down, out, up; † laid in = ‘inlaid.’
1598. Inv., in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), III. 325. A … bedsteade of walnuttree varnished vpon layd in woorke.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Laid-up, the situation of a ship when she is either moored in a harbour during the winter-season, or laid by, for want of employment: or when by age and craziness she is rendered incapable of further service.
1827. Steuart, Planter’s G. (1828), 390. An ill laid-out place … is, generally speaking, the work of the owner.
1851. Greenwell, Coal-trade Terms Northumb. & Durh., 34. A laid out tub of coals is a tub of coals containing stones or foul coal beyond a certain specified quantity, usually one quart.
1852. C. W. H[oskyns], Talpa, 60. However good in their way broad principles, and laid down courses of cropping or of treatment may be.
1882. De Windt, Equator, 22. In the midst of beautifully laid-out gardens, is the … Palace of the Raja.
