Guys, the underlined “laid waste “ did perplex me.
I guess maybe the “laid “ is an use of “ the non-finite verb (lay) “,
but how should I understand “ laid waste “ ‘ s meaning?[Image]

Question

Guys, the underlined “laid waste “ did perplex me. 
I guess maybe the “laid “ is an use of “ the non-finite verb (lay) “, 
but how should I understand “ laid waste “ ‘ s meaning?[Image]

Answer

It's sort of an old fashioned phrase, but is still used fairly often. It just means to destroy.