Third person singular present of 'lay', meaning to put down, place, or set in position; can also refer to producing eggs.
From Old English lecgan meaning to place or put down. The past tense confusion with 'lie' (lay/laid vs lie/lay) is one of English's most persistent grammatical challenges.
The lay/lie distinction trips up even native speakers because 'lay' requires a direct object while 'lie' doesn't - you lay something down, but you lie down yourself. Chickens lay eggs, but they lie in their nests.
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