[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

lain \lain\,
   p. p. of lie, v. i.
   1913 webster
see also:
lie 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

lie \lie\, v. i. imp. lay l=a; p. p. lain l=an,
   lien limac"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.
      1913 webster

            the watchful traveler . . .
            lay down again, and closed his weary eyes. --dryden.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   4. to be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding
      place; to consist; -- with in.
      1913 webster

            envy lies between beings equal in nature, though
            unequal in circumstances.             --collier.
      1913 webster

            he that thinks that diversion may not lie in hard
            labor, forgets the early rising and hard riding of
            huntsmen.                             --locke.
      1913 webster

   5. to lodge; to sleep.
      1913 webster

            whiles i was now trifling at home, i saw london, . .
            . where i lay one night only.         --evelyn.
      1913 webster

            mr. quinion lay at our house that night. --dickens.
      1913 webster

   6. to be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest.
      1913 webster

            the wind is loud and will not lie.    --shak.
      1913 webster

   7. law to be sustainable; to be capable of being
      maintained. "an appeal lies in this case." --parsons.
      1913 webster

   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.
         1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

            what he gets more of her than sharp words, let it
            lie on my head.                       --shak.
      1913 webster

   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.
          1913 webster
see also:
lay lain lien lying lair law 
litter low to lie along the shore to lie at the door of to lie at the heart 
to lie at the mercy of to lie by to lie hard to lie heavy to lie in 
to lie in one to lie in the way to lie in wait to lie on to lie upon 
to lie low to lie on hand to lie on one's hands to lie on the head of to lie over 
to lie to to bring to bring to lie under to lie with 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

lie
     n 1: a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth syn: prevarication
     2: norwegian diplomat who was the first secretary general of
        the united nations 1896-1968 syn: trygve lie, trygve
        halvden lie
     3: position or manner in which something is situated
     v 1: be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
     2: be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position; "the
        sick man lay in bed all day"; "the books are lying on the
        shelf" ant: stand, sit
     3: originate in; "the problems dwell in the social injustices
        in this country" syn: dwell, consist, belong, lie
        in
     4: be and remain in a particular state or condition; "lie
        dormant"
     5: tell an untruth; pretend with intent to deceive; "don't lie
        to your parents"; "she lied when she told me she was only
        29"
     6: have a place in relation to something else; "the fate of
        bosnia lies in the hands of the west"; "the responsibility
        rests with the allies" syn: rest
     7: assume a reclining position; "lie down on the bed until you
        feel better" syn: lie down ant: arise
     also: lying, lay, lain
see also:
prevarication trygve lie trygve halvden lie stand sit dwell 
consist belong lie in rest lie down 
arise lying lay lain 

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

lain
     see lie
see also:
lie 

Lain >> L Words
Lain, definition of term: Lain
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