Definition lie
Etymology 1
From Middle English lien, liggen, from Old English licgan, from Proto-Germanic *ligjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ-. Cognate with West Frisian lizze, Dutch liggen, German liegen, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål ligge, Swedish ligga, Icelandic, Faroese and Norwegian Nynorsk liggja, Gothic ????? (ligan); and with Latin lectus (“bed”), Irish luighe, Russian лежа́ть (ležátʹ), Albanian lag (“troop, band, encampment”).
As a noun for position, the noun has the same etymology above as the verb.
Verb
lie (third-person singular simple present lies, present participle lying, simple past lay, past participle lain or (obsolete) lien)
- (intransitive) To rest in a horizontal position on a surface.
- (intransitive) To be placed or situated.
- To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in a certain state or condition.
- Used with in: to be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding place; to consist.
- Used with with: to have sexual relations with.
- Used with on/upon: to be incumbent (on); to be the responsibility of a person.
- (archaic) To lodge; to sleep.
- To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest.
- (law) To be sustainable; to be capable of being maintained.
Noun
lie (plural lies)
- (golf) The terrain and conditions surrounding the ball before it is struck.
- (disc golf) The terrain and conditions surrounding the disc before it is thrown.
- (medicine) The position of a fetus in the womb.
- A manner of lying; relative position.
- An animal's lair.
Etymology 2
From Middle English lien (“to lie, tell a falsehood”), from Old English lēogan (“to lie”), from Proto-Germanic *leuganą (“to lie”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewgʰ- (“to lie, swear, bemoan”). Cognate with West Frisian lige (“to lie”), Low German legen, lögen (“to lie”), Dutch liegen (“to lie”), German lügen (“to lie”), Norwegian ljuge/lyge (“to lie”), Danish lyve (“to lie”), Swedish ljuga (“to lie”), and more distantly with Bulgarian лъжа (lǎža, “to lie”), Russian лгать (lgatʹ, “to lie”), ложь (ložʹ, “falsehood”).
Verb
lie (third-person singular simple present lies, present participle lying, simple past and past participle lied)
- (intransitive) To give false information intentionally with intent to deceive.
- (intransitive) To convey a false image or impression.
- (intransitive, colloquial) To be mistaken or unintentionally spread false information.
Etymology 3
From Middle English lie, from Old English lyġe (“lie, falsehood”), from Proto-Germanic *lugiz (“lie, falsehood”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewgʰ- (“to tell lies, swear, complain”). Cognate with Old Saxon luggi (“a lie”), Old High German lugī, lugin (“a lie”) (German Lüge), Danish løgn (“a lie”), Bulgarian лъжа́ (lǎžá, “а lie”), Russian ложь (ložʹ, “а lie”).
Noun
lie (plural lies)
- An intentionally false statement; an intentional falsehood.
- A statement intended to deceive, even if literally true; a half-truth
- Anything that misleads or disappoints.