1 C1 formal
(Nautical) To bring a ship to a stationary position or near-stop by adjusting the sails or engines.
"The captain ordered the crew to lay to while they waited for the storm to pass."
inseparable
lay to
C1 formal inseparable transitive/intransitive
A nautical term meaning to bring a ship to a stop or near-stop, or to attribute something to a particular cause.
In plain English
Stop a ship and wait, or say that something happened because of a certain reason.
What does "lay to" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic formal
(Archaic/formal) To attribute something to a particular cause or person.
"The failure was laid to poor planning rather than lack of effort."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To lay (bring) something to a halt or rest.
Actually means
Stop a ship and wait, or say that something happened because of a certain reason.
Usage tip
The nautical sense is specialised and rare outside maritime contexts. The attributive sense ('lay to' meaning 'attribute to') is archaic in modern English and has largely been replaced by 'put down to' or 'attribute to'. Learners will rarely encounter this phrasal verb.
Words that pair with "lay to"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
ship vessel helm anchor cause fault
How to conjugate "lay to"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
lay to
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lays to
he/she/it
Past simple
laid to
yesterday
Past participle
laid to
have + pp
-ing form
laying to
continuous
Hear "lay to" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "lay to" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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