LAY CLAIM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lay claim mean? 

• LAY CLAIM (verb)
  The verb LAY CLAIM has 1 sense:

1. demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to

  Familiarity information: LAY CLAIM used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LAY CLAIM (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

arrogate; claim; lay claim

Context example:

Mr. Smith claims special tax exemptions because he is a foreign resident

Hypernyms (to "lay claim" is one way to...):

ask for; bespeak; call for; quest; request (express the need or desire for)

Verb group:

claim; take (lay claim to; as of an idea)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lay claim"):

pretend (put forward a claim and assert right or possession of)

requisition (demand and take for use or service, especially by military or public authority for public service)

arrogate; assign (make undue claims to having)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

I could scarcely lay claim to the name: I was so disturbed by the conviction that the letter came from Agnes.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“I should be somewhat ashamed of myself, Clara,” returned Miss Murdstone, “if I could not understand the boy, or any boy. I don't profess to be profound; but I do lay claim to common sense.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I might have a misgiving that I am meandering in stopping to say this, but that it brings me to remark that I build these conclusions, in part upon my own experience of myself; and if it should appear from anything I may set down in this narrative that I was a child of close observation, or that as a man I have a strong memory of my childhood, I undoubtedly lay claim to both of these characteristics.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Traddles had to indicate that I was Mr. Copperfield, and I had to lay claim to myself, and they had to divest themselves of a preconceived opinion that Traddles was Mr. Copperfield, and altogether we were in a nice condition.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)