forelay, v.
(fɔəˈleɪ)
[f. fore- prefix + lay v.]
1. trans. To lie in wait for, waylay. Obs. exc. dial.
| 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. IV, Introd. 9 He was forelayed and taken. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 667 For feare (quoth he) that I be forlaied by the way, and rifled by him. 1700 Dryden Palamon & A. i. 493 An ambush'd thief fore⁓lays a traveller. 1887 Kentish Gloss., Fore-lay, to waylay. |
† b. To lie in ambush about or near (a place).
| 1563 Golding Cæsar (1565) 80 b, Hys enemys might..for⁓lay the wayes. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. vi. lii. (1632) 180 His opposites had forelaid the country, and hemmed him about. 1683 Brit. Spec. 106 They had forelaid the Passages by land. |
c. fig. To lay obstacles in the way of; to plot or take action against; to embarrass, frustrate, hinder, interfere with. Now rare.
| 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. v. 11 The Lord..forlayeth their craftynesse. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. iv. 58 Then Ebwith, and with her slides Srowy; which forelay Her progresse. 1612–15 Bp. Hall Contempl., O.T. xx. ix, How cunningly doth he forelay their confidence. 1697 Dryden Virgil xi. 781 With chosen Foot his Passage to forelay, And place an Ambush in the winding way. 1832 J. Bree Saint Herbert's Isle ii. v, She would her own sweet peace forelay. |
2. To lay down or plan beforehand; to pre-arrange; with both material and immaterial objs. Obs. exc. dial.
| 1605 Daniel Philotas Wks. (1717) 350 Envy will most cunningly forelay The Ambush of their Ruin. a 1619 F. Davison Poet. Rhapsody (1826) II. 361 Privy snares my foes fore-lay. 1643 [Angier] Lanc. Vall. Achor 1 The wise God..forelaid a double-foundation, of sin in the enemy, and humiliation in his people. a 1716 South Serm. (1744) XI. 252 An excellent artificer, who in all his works of art, has forelaid in his mind a perfect model of his intended fabric. 1815 Mr. John Decastro I. 52 Thus the ground was forelaid for great rejoicing. 1876 in Whitby Gloss. |
Hence ˈforelaid ppl. a.; foreˈlaying vbl. n.
| 1600 Holland Livy v. xxviii. (1609) 199 There was no feare of ambushments and forelayings. 1640 Ld. J. Digby Sp. in Ho. Com. 9 Nov. 8, I levell at no man with a forelayd designe. 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §16 The constituted and fore-laid principles of his Art. 1815 Mr. John Decastro I. 259 Thus far by way of..forelaying of the ground. |