lay figure noun phr. [leɪ 'fɪgǝ] L18.[from LAY(MAN noun2 + FIGURE noun.]1. A jointed figure of a human body used by artists as a model for arranging drapery on etc.
L18.■ W. S. Maugham The look of a lay figure in a studio.2. A person lacking in individuality, a nonentity; an unrealistic character in a novel etc. serving only to advance the plot.
M19.■ G. Greene She isn't a lay figure, the audience see enough of her..to feel the shock of her murder. [TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲