lie

lie

lie¹ [lī]

vi.

lay, lain, lying [ME lien < 2d & 3d pers. sing. of earlier liggen < OE licgan, to lie, akin to Ger liegen < IE base * legh-, to lie, lay oneself down > L lectus & Gr lēchos, bed, lōchos, lair]

1. to be or put oneself in a reclining position along a relatively horizontal surface: often with down

2. to be in a more or less horizontal position on some supporting surface: said of inanimate things

3. to be or remain in a specified condition [motives that lie hidden]

4. to be situated [Canada lies to the north]

5. to extend; stretch [the road that lies before us]

6. to be; exist; be found [the love that lies in her eyes]

7. to be buried or entombed

8. Archaic to stay overnight or for a short while; lodge

9. Archaic to have sexual intercourse ( with)

10. Law to be maintainable or admissible [an action that will not lie]

vt.

Golf to have, on the hole being played, a score of [after her approach shot, she lies three on the ninth hole]

n.

1. the way in which something is situated or arranged; lay

2. an animal's lair or resting place

3. Brit. a period of resting

4. Golf the relative situation of a ball with reference to the advantage it offers the player [a good lie]

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☆ lie down on the job

Informal to put forth less than one's best efforts

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lie in

to be in confinement for childbirth

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lie off

Naut. to stay at a distance from shore or another ship

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☆ lie over

to stay and wait until some future time

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lie to

Naut. to lie more or less stationary with the bow to the wind

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take lying down

to submit to (punishment, a wrong, etc.) without protest

lie² [lī]

vi.

lied, lying [ME lien < OE leogan, akin to Ger lügen (Goth liugan) < IE base * leugh-, to tell lies > Lith lūgoti, to ask]

1.

a) to make a statement that one knows is false, esp. with intent to deceive

b) to make such statements habitually

2. to give a false impression; deceive one [statistics can lie]

vt.

to bring, put, accomplish, etc. by lying [to lie oneself into office]

n.

1. a false statement or action, esp. one made with intent to deceive

2. anything that gives or is meant to give a false impression

3. the charge of lying

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give the lie to

1. to charge with telling a lie

2. to prove to be false; belie

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lie in one's throat or lie in one's teeth or lie in or through one's teeth

to tell a foul or outrageous lie

SYN.- LIE² is the simple direct word meaning to make a deliberately false statement; PREVARICATE strictly means to quibble or confuse the issue in order to evade the truth, but it is loosely used as a formal or affected substitute for LIE²; EQUIVOCATE implies the deliberate use of ambiguity in order to deceive or mislead; FABRICATE suggests the invention of a false story, excuse, etc. intended to deceive and is, hence, sometimes used as a somewhat softer equivalent for LIE²; FIB implies the telling of a falsehood about something unimportant and is sometimes a euphemism for LIE²