allay

English

/əˈleɪ/

verb
Definitions
  • (transitive) To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
  • (transitive) To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate.
  • (intransitive) To subside, abate, become peaceful.
  • (archaic) To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.
  • (archaic) To make worse by the introduction of inferior elements.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English alayen inherited from Old English āleċġan (throw down, allay, lay upon, abandon, give up, diminish, destroy, impose upon, lessen, suppress, take away, conquer, refute, put, withhold, abolish, refuse, put down, place, lay aside, inflict, overcome, cease from, lay down) inherited from Proto-Germanic *uzlagjaną (lay down) prefix from English lay (meadow).

Origin

English

lay

Gloss

meadow

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms