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Webster 1913 Edition

Allay

Al-lay′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Allayed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Allaying
.]
[OE.
alaien
,
aleggen
, to lay down, put down, humble, put an end to, AS.
ālecgan
;
ā-
(cf. Goth.
us-
, G.
er-
, orig. meaning
out
) +
lecgan
to lay; but confused with old forms of
allege
,
alloy
,
alegge
. See
Lay
.]
1.
To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm;
as, to
allay
popular excitement; to
allay
the tumult of the passions.
2.
To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate;
as, to
allay
the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity
.
It would
allay
the burning quality of that fell poison.
Shakespeare
Syn. – To alleviate; check; repress; assuage; appease; abate; subdue; destroy; compose; soothe; calm; quiet. See
Alleviate
.

Al-lay′

,
Verb.
T.
To diminish in strength; to abate; to subside.
“When the rage allays.”
Shak.

Al-lay′

,
Noun.
Alleviation; abatement; check.
[Obs.]

Al-lay′

,
Noun.
Alloy.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Al-lay′

,
Verb.
T.
To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.
[Archaic]
Fuller.

Webster 1828 Edition

Allay

ALLA'Y

,
Verb.
T.
[Gr.; L.ligo, to bind; but this may be the same word differently applied, that is, to set, to fix, to make fast, to unite. Allay and alloy were formerly used indifferently; but I have recognized an entire distinction between them, applying alloy to metals.]
1.
To make quiet; to pacify, or appease; as, to allay the tumult of the passions, or to allay civil commotions.
2.
To abate, mitigate, subdue or destroy; as, to allay grief or pain.
Females, who soften and allay the bitterness of adversity.
3.
To obtund or repress as acrimony; as, to allay the acrid qualities of a substance.
4.
Formerly, to reduce the purity of; as, to allay metals. But, in this sense, alloy is now exclusively used. [See Alloy.]

ALLA'Y

, n.
1.
Formerly, a baser metal mixed with a finer; but in this sense it is now written alloy, which see.
2.
That which allays, or abates the predominant qualities; as, the allay of colors.
Also, abatement; diminution by means of some mixture; as, joy without allay. But alloy is now more generally used.

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