1690–1700; spelling variant (after French quai ) of earlier kay (also key, whence the modern pronunciation) < Old French kay, cay; akin to Spanish cayo shoal. See key 2
You know that wharf on the bank of the river where all the boats park? It's not an aqua parking lot. It's called a quay. When you visit France and take a walk beside the wharves where boats dock and unload passengers, you can say you've been strolling along the quays of the Seine. The English spelling of this word was originally key, and that's one way to pronounce it even today, an alternative to "qway." Quay comes from the Old North French cai, "sand bank."
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It includes plans for 33 apartments within three-and-a-half storey buildings and the demolition of the existing building to the east of Rodger's Quay.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
"We would have had the children closer together. We possibly may have had more," said Seddon, from Connah's Quay.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
He doesn’t even know how to treat the cops who are his new guards, amusingly portrayed as a comedy-act trio who finish one another’s sentences by Ethan Dubin, Katie Kreisler and Dave Quay.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
He contemplated selling the business in New Quay, Ceredigion, but realised money from the sale would not be enough to cover bank loans.
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
Working in the city, I keep my eyes open for Alice, especially if I’m near the Quay or the Cross.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
