by the lay

prepositional phrase

Paid a portion of any profits from the voyage, rather than receiving wages.

“Sailors on whaling ships were traditionally shipped by the lay.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. nauticalPaid a portion of any profits from the voyage, rather than receiving wages.

    Sailors on whaling ships were traditionally shipped by the lay.

Cite this entry
APA

by the lay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20the%20lay

MLA

“by the lay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20the%20lay. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by the lay,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20the%20lay.

Source: by the lay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.