English · Phrasal verb Attested

lay about

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To strike blows in all directions.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

đánh vào mọi hướng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

[...] At beating quarters up, or forage, / Behaved herself with matchless courage; / And laid about in fight more busily / Than th' Amazonian Dame Penthesile.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To set about, with infinitive or gerund.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bắt đầu làm việc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lay, about.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Sử dụng ngoài nghĩa đen hoặc thành ngữ: xem lay, about

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “lay about” mean?

To strike blows in all directions.

Is “lay about” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.