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Hyphenation of lay

How to hyphenate lay

Because it is a word with a single syllable, lay is not hyphenated. The words that have a single syllable are called monosyllabic words.

lay
Syllables Count
1
Characters Count
3
Alpha-numeric Characters Count
3
Hyphens Count
0
Haphenation done based on the Knuth-Liang word-division algorithm. The computed hyphenation pattern is:

Definitions of lay

lay is defined as:

Definition 1 as noun

  • noun
    Arrangement or relationship; layout.

    Example: the lay of the land

  • noun
    A share of the profits in a business.
  • noun
    A lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.
  • noun
    The direction a rope is twisted.

    Example: Worm and parcel with the lay; turn and serve the other way.

  • noun
    A casual sexual partner.

    Example: What was I, just another lay you can toss aside as you go on to your next conquest?

  • noun
    An act of sexual intercourse.
  • noun
    A plan; a scheme.
  • noun
    (uncountable) the laying of eggs.

    Example: The hens are off the lay at present.

  • noun
    A layer.

Definition 1 as verb

  • verb
    To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position.

    Example: A shower of rain lays the dust.

  • verb
    To cause to subside or abate.

    Synonyms: becalm, "settle down"

  • verb
    To prepare (a plan, project etc.); to set out, establish (a law, principle).
  • verb
    To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another.

    Example: lay brick;  lay flooring

  • verb
    To produce and deposit an egg.

    Example: Did dinosaurs lay their eggs in a nest?

  • verb
    To bet (that something is or is not the case).

    Example: I'll lay that he doesn't turn up on Monday.

  • verb
    To deposit (a stake) as a wager; to stake; to risk.
  • verb
    To have sex with.

    Synonyms: "lie by", "lie with", "sleep with"

  • verb
    To take a position; to come or go.

    Example: to lay forward;  to lay aloft

  • verb
    To state; to allege.

    Example: to lay the venue

  • verb
    To point; to aim.

    Example: to lay a gun

  • verb
    (ropemaking) To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them.

    Example: to lay a cable or rope

  • verb
    To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
  • verb
    To place (new type) properly in the cases.
  • verb
    To apply; to put.
  • verb
    To impose (a burden, punishment, command, tax, etc.).

    Example: to lay a tax on land

  • verb
    To impute; to charge; to allege.

    Synonyms: ascribe, attribute

  • verb
    To present or offer.

    Example: to lay an indictment in a particular county;   to lay a scheme before one

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What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of splitting words into syllables and inserting hyphens between them to facilitate the reading of a text. It is also used to divide words when the word cannot fit on a line.

This technique is particularly helpful in fully justified texts, where it aids in creating a uniform edge along both sides of a paragraph. Hyphenation rules vary among languages and even among different publications within the same language. It's a critical component in typesetting, significantly influencing the aesthetics and readability of printed and digital media. For instance, in compound adjectives like 'long-term solution', hyphens clarify relationships between words, preventing misinterpretation. Moreover, hyphenation can alter meanings: 'recreation' differs from 're-creation'.

With the advent of digital text, hyphenation algorithms have become more sophisticated, though still imperfect, sometimes requiring manual adjustment to ensure accuracy and coherence in text layout. Understanding and correctly applying hyphenation rules is therefore not only a matter of linguistic accuracy but also a key aspect of effective visual communication.