allay

present singular third person allays · participle present allaying · participle past allayed · past allayed · alternative obsolete alay

1. transitiveTo make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.

   to allay popular excitement

   5 more examples

   to allay the tumult of the passions

   O love, be moderate, allay thy ecstacy, […]

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

   They were forced to try to allay discontent by palliative measures.

   1888, William Morris, Signs of Change […] , London: Reeves and Turner, page 104

   He had to pretend to be drunk in order to allay the suspicions which might have been aroused by his appearance at the gate.

   1887, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “A Study in Scarlet”, in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward, Lock & Co., part I (Being a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., […]), chapter V (Our Advertisement brings a Visitor), pages 31–32

   Kissinger was obviously doing his best to allay our government's growing apprehension in connection with Nixon's forthcoming trip to Peking.

   1983, James C. H. Shen, “Dropping the First Shoe”, in Robert Myers, editor, The U.S. & Free China: How the U.S. Sold Out Its Ally, Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd., →ISBN, page 84

   Synonyms: appease, assuage, compose, soothe, calm, quiet

2. transitiveTo alleviate; to abate; to mitigate.

   to allay the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity

   1 more example

   […] and is the onlie laſt remedie for all debilities which haue long vexed the body through a hote diſtemper of the Lever, ſuch as a hote Gutte; it allayeth all Inflamations inward & outward.

   1618, Patri[c]k Anderson, The Colde Spring of Kinghorne Craig […], Edinburgh: Thomas Finlason, unnumbered page

   Synonyms: alleviate, abate

3. intransitiveobsoleteTo subside, abate, become peaceful.

   For raging wind blows up incessant showers, And when the rage allays the rain begins.

   c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]

   2 more examples

   And the gilded Car of Day, His glowing Axle doth allay In the steep Atlantick stream...

   Comus

   1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC, page Mark

   And the wynde alayed, and there folowed a greate calme: and he sayde unto them: why are ye fearfull?

   1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark iiij

4. archaicTo mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.
5. archaicbroadlyTo make worse by the introduction of inferior elements.

   Yet far be it from us to condemn all their works to be dross, because debased and allayed with superstitious intents […]

   1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warr

plural allays · alternative obsolete alay

1. Alleviation; abatement; check.
2. obsoleteAn alloy.