Allay is a verb that means to diminish or put to rest.

The Old English word Alegan (al uh GAN) means ‘to lay down or aside.’ This is the basis for our word of the day. Here’s an example:

In an effort to allay my daughter’s disgust of Brussels sprouts, I ate several of them myself. Unfortunately, the upset stomach I had afterwards, didn’t do much to put aside her dislike of the vegetable.