Meaning
To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English alayen, aleyen, aleggen, from Old English āleċġan (“to put, place, lay down, lay aside, throw down, give up, cease from, abandon; put down, allay, suppress, abolish, conquer, destroy, overcome, refute; lay upon, inflict, impose upon; diminish, take away, refuse, lessen, withhold”), from Proto-Germanic *uzlagjaną (“to lay down”), equivalent to a- + lay. Cognate with German erlegen (“to impose, cause to succumb, kill”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (uslagjan, “to lay down”). In Middle English the word was identical to forms of allege and alloy, leading to much overlapping of senses.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 41 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-08-31LABDORY
- 2026-06-16YAEILNV
- 2026-04-20LATIDNY
- 2026-04-05ACTIFLY
- 2026-03-15LARDCIY
- 2026-01-20AFTLINY
- 2026-01-17YATROLP
- 2025-12-11YPAOLEM
- 2025-11-11YANLGDI
- 2025-09-20ADENYZL
- 2025-09-05ABEJLNY
- 2025-08-27LAVIDNY
+29 earlier appearances in the archive.