lay claim to (something)
lay claim to (something)
To assert that one has the legal or proper right to own or possess something. If no one lays claim to the wallet within 48 hours, you'll be able to keep it for yourself. The youngest son is laying claim to the business now that their father has passed away.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
lay claim to something
to place a claim on something. Do you really think you can lay claim to that money after all these years? Someone came by and laid claim to the wallet you found.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
lay claim to
Assert one's right to or ownership of, as in "What claim lays she to thee?" (Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, 3:2). [Late 1500s] Also see stake a claim.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lay ˈclaim to something
state that you have a right to something: ‘The Lamb and Flag’ lays claim to being the oldest pub in London.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
lay claim to
To assert one's right to or ownership of.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.