lay down vs legislate

lay down

verb
  • To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate (rules or policies). 

  • To sacrifice, especially in the phrase "to lay down one's life." 

  • To stock, store (e.g. wine) for the future. See also lay by. 

  • To euthanize an animal. 

  • To lie down; to place oneself in a reclined or horizontal position, on a bed or similar, for the purpose of resting. 

  • To give up, surrender, or yield (e.g. a weapon), usually by placing it on the ground. 

  • simple past tense of lie down 

  • To intentionally take a fall while riding a motorcycle, in order to prevent a more serious collision. 

  • To place on the ground, e.g. a railway on a trackbed. 

legislate

verb
  • To pass laws (including the amending or repeal of existing laws). 

How often have the words lay down and legislate occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )