Bay

English

Definition of Bay

Noun Bay (plural Bays) (obsolete) A berry. A shrub of the family Lauraceae, having dark green leaves and berries. (in the plural, now rare) The leaves of this shrub, woven into a garland used to reward a champion or victor; hence, fame, victory. The leaf of this shrub, used as a herb. (geography) A body of water (especially the sea) more or less three-quarters surrounded by land. An opening in a wall, especially between two columns. An internal recess; a compartment or area surrounded on three sides. The distance between two supports in a vault or building with a pitched roof. (nautical) Each of the spaces, port and starboard, between decks, forward of the bitts, in sailing warships. (rail transport) A bay platform. shortened form of bay window. The excited barking of dogs when hunting or being attacked. (by extension) The climactic confrontation between hunting-dogs and their prey. A brown colour/color of the coat of some horses. Bay colour:     A horse of this color. Verb Bay (third-person singular simple present Bays, present participle Baying, simple past and past participle Bayed) (intransitive) To bark. (transitive) To bark at. (transitive) To pursue noisily, like a pack of hounds. Adjective Bay (comparative more Bay, superlative most Bay) Of a reddish-brown colour (especially of horses).

Adjectives for Bay

land-locked; craggy; shallow; native; tranquil; yawning; eddying; noble; silvery; curving; regal; extensive; deep; protective; roaring; billowy; treacherous; glassy; squally; distant; sheltered; whispering; shimmering; murky; shark-infested; broadening; magnificent; protected; misted.

Verbs for Bay

anchor in—; break on—; dredge—; drop into—; embark at—; enter—; put into— recede into—; ride—; surround—; —eddies—extends; —lashes the beach; —narrows—widens.

Thesaurus

accolade, adust, alcove, archives, arm, armlet, armory, arsenal, attic, auburn, award, badge, bank, bark, basement, bawl, bay window, bay-colored, bayard, bayou, bays, beep, bell, bellow, belt, bight, bin, blare, blast, blat, blate, bleat, blow, blow the horn, boca, bonded warehouse, bookcase, bow window, box, bray, brazen, bronze, bronze-colored, bronzed, brownish-red, buckskin, bugle, bunker, buttery, calico pony, call, cargo dock, carrel, casement, casement window, castaneous, caterwaul, cellar, chaplet, chest, chestnut, chestnut-brown, civic crown, clarion, closet, conservatory, copper, copper-colored, coppery, corner, cove, cranny, crate, creek, crib, crown, cry, cubby, cubbyhole, cubicle, cup, cupboard, cupreous, dapple-gray, decoration, depository, depot, distinction, dock, drawer, dump, dun, estuary, euripus, exchequer, fan window, fanfare, fanlight, ferruginous, fjord, flourish of trumpets, foxy, frith, garland, give tongue, give voice, glory hole, godown, gray, grille, grizzle, gulf, gut, harbor, henna, hold, honk, howl, hutch, inglenook, inlet, kudos, kyle, lancet window, lantern, lattice, laurel, laurels, library, light, liver-brown, liver-colored, livid-brown, loch, locker, louver window, loving cup, low, lumber room, lumberyard, magasin, magazine, mahogany, meow, mew, mewl, miaow, moo, mouth, narrow, narrow seas, narrows, natural harbor, neigh, niche, nicker, nook, oriel, paint, painted pony, palm, palms, pane, peal, picture window, piebald, pinto, pipe, pitchhole, port, porthole, pot, pule, quest, rack, reach, recess, recession, reddish-brown, repertory, repository, reservoir, rick, road, roads, roadstead, roan, roar, roomlet, rose window, rubiginous, rufous, russet, russety, rust, rust-colored, rusty, screak, scream, screech, shelf, shriek, skewbald, skylight, slough, snuggery, sorrel, sound, sound a tattoo, sound taps, squall, squeak, squeal, stack, stack room, stock room, storage, store, storehouse, storeroom, strait, straits, sunburned, supply base, supply depot, tank, tantara, tantarara, taps, tarantara, tattoo, terra-cotta, toot, tootle, transom, treasure house, treasure room, treasury, troat, trophy, trumpet, trumpet blast, trumpet call, tweedle, ululate, vat, vault, wail, warehouse, whicker, whine, whinny, whistle, wicket, wind, window, window bay, window glass, windowpane, wine cellar, wreath, yap, yawl, yawp, yelp, yip, yowl

Pronunciation

• enPR: bā, IPA: /beɪ/, SAMPA: /beI/

• Audio (US)

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  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪ

Etymology

1. From Middle English baye, baie, from Old English beġ (“berry”), as in beġbēam (“berry-tree”), conflated with Old French baie, from Latin bāca (“berry”).
2. From French baie, from Late Latin baia.
3. From French baie, from Old French baée, from baer, from Vulgar Latin *badāre (“to be open”).
4. From Old French bay, combined with apheticised form of abay; verbal form Old French bayer, abayer.
5. From French baie, from Latin badius (“reddish brown, chestnut”).

Synonyms

• bay laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel, sweet bay, true laurel

Derived terms

terms derived from bay (plant)

bayberry bay laurel bay leaf bay rum

bay rum tree bay tree red bay sweet bay

terms derived from bay

bay platform bay window bomb bay buggy bay loading bay California bay at bay keep at bay bay at the moon bay lynx

Synonyms

• (body of water): gulf

See also

• abeyance
• badinage
• baize
• daphne
• voe