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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Allay \Al*lay"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Allayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Allaying}.] [OE. alaien, aleggen, to lay down, put down, humble, put an end to, AS. [=a]lecgan; [=a]- (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. --Shak.
Syn: To alleviate; check; repress; assuage; appease; abate; subdue; destroy; compose; soothe; calm; quiet. See {Alleviate}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Allay \Al*lay"\, verb (used with an object) To diminish in strength; to abate; to subside. ''When the rage allays.'' --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Allay \Al*lay"\, noun Alleviation; abatement; check. [Obs.]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Allay \Al*lay"\, noun Alloy. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Allay \Al*lay"\, verb (used with an object) To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate. [Archaic] --Fuller.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
allay
verb
1: lessen the intensity of or calm; "The news eased my conscience"; "still the fears" [syn: {still}, {relieve}, {ease}]
2: satisfy (thirst); "The cold water quenched his thirst" [syn: {quench}, {slake}, {assuage}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
120 Moby Thesaurus words for "allay": abate, alleviate, anesthetize, appease, assuage, attemper, balm, bank the fire, benumb, blunt, calm, chasten, cloy, compose, conciliate, constrain, control, cool, cram, cushion, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, defuse, deliver, diminish, disburden, disembarrass, disencumber, downplay, dulcify, dull, ease, ease matters, engorge, extenuate, feast, feed, fill, fill up, foment, free, give relief, glut, gorge, gratify, jade, keep within bounds, lay, lay the dust, lenify, lessen, lighten, lull, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, numb, obtund, overdose, overfeed, overfill, overgorge, oversaturate, overstuff, pacify, pad, pall, palliate, placate, play down, poultice, pour balm into, pour balm on, pour oil on, propitiate, quench, quiet, quieten, reduce, reduce the temperature, regale, release, relieve, restrain, salve, sate, satiate, satisfy, saturate, settle, slacken, slake, slow down, smooth, smooth down, smooth over, smother, sober, sober down, soften, soothe, stifle, still, stuff, stupe, subdue, supersaturate, suppress, surfeit, tame, temper, tone down, tranquilize, tune down, underplay, weaken
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