Lie — Defs

01 n. See Lye.

1.
See Lye. See: Lye

02 n. A falsehood uttered or acted for the purpose of deception; an intentional violation of truth; an untruth spoken with the intention to deceive.

1.
A falsehood uttered or acted for the purpose of deception; an intentional violation of truth; an untruth spoken with the intention to deceive.
“The proper notion of a lie is an endeavoring to deceive another by signifying that to him as true, which we ourselves think not to be so.” — S. Clarke.

“It is willful deceit that makes a lie. A man may act a lie, as by pointing his finger in a wrong direction when a traveler inquires of him his road.” — Paley.
2.
A fiction; a fable; an untruth.
3.
Anything which misleads or disappoints.
“Wishing this lie of life was o'er.” — Trench.

Phrases & compounds

To give the lie to — To charge with falsehood; as, the man gave him the lie.

White lie — a euphemism for such lies as one finds it convenient to tell, and excuses himself for telling.

Syn. Untruth; falsehood; fiction; deception.

-- Lie, Untruth. A man may state what is untrue from ignorance or misconception; hence, to impute an untruth to one is not necessarily the same as charging him with a lie. Every lie is an untruth, but not every untruth is a lie. Cf. Falsity.

03 v. i. To utter falsehood with an intention to deceive; to say or do that which is intended to deceive another, when he a right to know the truth,…

imp. & p. p. Lied; p. pr. & vb. n. Lying

1.
To utter falsehood with an intention to deceive; to say or do that which is intended to deceive another, when he a right to know the truth, or when morality requires a just representation.

04 v. i. 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…

imp. Lay; p. p. Lain; p. pr. & vb. n. Lying

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.[Obs.]
“The watchful traveler . . . Lay down again, and closed his weary eyes.” — Dryden.
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.
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.
4.
To be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding place; to consist; -- with in.
“Envy lies between beings equal in nature, though unequal in circumstances.” — Collier.

“He that thinks that diversion may not lie in hard labor, forgets the early rising and hard riding of huntsmen.” — Locke.
5.
To lodge; to sleep.
“Whiles I was now trifling at home, I saw London, . . . where I lay one night only.” — Evelyn.

“Mr. Quinion lay at our house that night.” — Dickens.
6.
To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest.
“The wind is loud and will not lie.” — Shak.
7.
To be sustainable; to be capable of being maintained.(Law)
“What he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my head.” — Shak.

05 n. The position or way in which anything lies; the lay, as of land or country.

1.
The position or way in which anything lies; the lay, as of land or country.
“He surveyed with his own eyes . . . the lie of the country on the side towards Thrace.” — Jowett (Thucyd.).