bay

¹

[ bey ]

noun

1. a body of water forming an indentation of the shoreline, larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf.

   Synonyms: bight, firth, sound, estuary, inlet

2. South Atlantic States. an arm of a swamp.
3. a recess of land, partly surrounded by hills.
4. an arm of a prairie or swamp, extending into woods and partly surrounded by them.

bay

²

[ bey ]

noun

1. Architecture.
   1. any of a number of similar major vertical divisions of a large interior, wall, etc.:

      The nave is divided into six bays.

   2. a division of a window between a mullion and an adjoining mullion or jamb.
   3. bay window ( def 1 ).
2. Aeronautics.
   1. any portion of an airplane set off by two successive bulkheads or other bracing members.
   2. a compartment in an aircraft:

      a bomb bay;

      an engine bay.

3. a compartment, as in a barn for storing hay.

   Synonyms: gallet, loft, niche, recess, nook, alcove

4. Also called drive bay. Computers. an open compartment in the console housing a computer's CPU in which a disk drive, tape drive, etc., may be installed.
5. Nautical.
   1. the deck space between the anchor windlass and the stem of a vessel.
   2. sick bay.

bay

³

[ bey ]

noun

1. a deep, prolonged howl, as of a hound on the scent.
2. the position or stand of an animal or fugitive that is forced to turn and resist pursuers because it is no longer possible to flee (usually preceded by at or to ):

   a stag at bay; to bring an escaped convict to bay.

3. the situation of a person or thing that is forced actively to oppose or to succumb to some adverse condition (usually preceded by at or to ).
4. the situation of being actively opposed by an animal, person, etc., so as to be powerless to act fully (often preceded by at ).

verb (used without object)

1. to howl, especially with a deep, prolonged sound, as a hound on the scent.

   Synonyms: clamor, bell, bark, bellow, roar

verb (used with object)

1. to assail with deep, prolonged howling:

   a troubled hound baying the moon.

2. to bring to or to hold at bay:

   A dog bays its quarry.

bay

⁴

[ bey ]

noun

1. laurel ( def 1 ).
2. Also called bayberry,. a tropical American shrub, Pimenta racemosa, having aromatic leaves that are used in making bay oil and bay rum.
3. any of various laurellike trees or shrubs.
4. any of several magnolias.
5. an honorary garland or crown bestowed for military victory, literary excellence, etc.
6. bays, Literary. fame; renown:

   Tennyson had fairly won his bays.

bay

⁵

[ bey ]

noun

1. reddish brown.
2. a horse or other animal of reddish-brown color.

adjective

1. (of horses or other animals) having a reddish-brown body.

bay

¹

/ beɪ /

noun

1. a deep howl or growl, esp of a hound on the scent
2. at bay
   at bay
   1. (of a person or animal) forced to turn and face attackers

      the dogs held the deer at bay

   2. at a distance

      to keep a disease at bay

3. bring to bay
   bring to bay to force into a position from which retreat is impossible

verb

1. intr to howl (at) in deep prolonged tones
2. tr to utter in a loud prolonged tone
3. tr to drive to or hold at bay

bay

²

/ beɪ /

noun

1. an alcove or recess in a wall
2. any partly enclosed compartment, as one in which hay is stored in a barn
3. See bay window
   See bay window
4. an area off a road in which vehicles may park or unload, esp one adjacent to a shop, factory, etc
5. a compartment in an aircraft, esp one used for a specified purpose

   the bomb bay

6. nautical a compartment in the forward part of a ship between decks, often used as the ship's hospital
7. a tracked recess in the platform of a railway station, esp one forming the terminus of a branch line

bay

³

/ beɪ /

noun

1. See laurel
   Also calledbay laurel, sweet bay a small evergreen Mediterranean laurel, Laurus nobilis , with glossy aromatic leaves, used for flavouring in cooking, and small blackish berries See laurel
2. any of various other trees with strongly aromatic leaves used in cooking, esp a member of the genera Myrica or Pimenta
3. See sweet bay
   any of several magnolias See sweet bay
4. any of certain other trees or shrubs, esp bayberry
5. See laurel
   plural a wreath of bay leaves See laurel

bay

⁴

/ beɪ /

noun

1. 1. a moderate reddish-brown colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      a bay horse

2. an animal of this colour, esp a horse

bay

⁵

/ beɪ /

noun

1. a wide semicircular indentation of a shoreline, esp between two headlands or peninsulas
2. an extension of lowland into hills that partly surround it
3. an extension of prairie into woodland

bay

/ bā /

1. A body of water partially enclosed by land but having a wide outlet to the sea. A bay is usually smaller than a gulf.
2. A space in the cabinet of a personal computer where a storage device, such as a disk drive or CD-ROM drive, can be installed.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bay¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bai, baye, from Middle French baie, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin bāia; further origin uncertain; perhaps by back formation from Latin Bāiae, name of a spa on the Bay of Naples; perhaps of Iberian or Celtic origin

Origin of bay²

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French baée “an opening in a wall,” noun use of feminine past participle of baer “to stand open, gape,” from unattested Vulgar Latin batāre “to yawn, gape”

Origin of bay³

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, shortening of abai, abay, from Anglo-French, dialectal Old French abai “barking,” derivative of abaier “to bark,” of imitative origin

Origin of bay⁴

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bai(e), Old English beg- (in begbēam “a tree that bears berries”), conflated with Middle French baie, from Latin bāca, bacca “berry”

Origin of bay⁵

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French bai, from Latin badius “bay, chestnut, chestnut brown”; akin only to Old Irish buide “yellow”

Word History and Origins

Origin of bay¹

C13: from Old French abaiier to bark, of imitative origin

Origin of bay²

C14: from Old French baee gap or recess in a wall, from baer to gape; see bay ¹

Origin of bay³

C14: from Old French baie laurel berry, from Latin bāca berry

Origin of bay⁴

C14: from Old French bai , from Latin badius

Origin of bay⁵

C14: from Old French baie , perhaps from Old French baer to gape, from Medieval Latin batāre to yawn

Idioms and Phrases

see at bay .

Example Sentences

Even as IT firms bring back between 10% and 30% of their workforce, it might be a while before their campuses go back to full capacity with buzzing cafeterias and noisy bays.

From Quartz

When performing medical exams, astronauts won’t have the starship Enterprise’s sick bay at their disposal.

From Science News

These cells normally keep clots at bay so that blood can flow smoothly.

From Science News

The mucus marvels rise out of the heads of four species of spineless, roughly tadpole-shaped giant larvaceans living in the twilight depths of the bay.

From Science News

Kelp forests were on average 20 times larger in areas where sea otters have lived for decades on Vancouver Island, compared with bays where the otters were absent, Watson and her colleagues found.

From Science News

As part of the MassEquality coalition, Marc Solomon, a former Senate aide, was working to get Bay State legislators to vote no.

From The Daily Beast

The Tampa Bay Times got their hands on a full copy of the letter the retired judge sent to Winston.

From The Daily Beast

Rising up from scooping bay, the steep topography—hemmed by hills of evergreens—promises panoramas at practically every turn.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps the guards at the Guantanamo Bay detention facilities will finally be allowed to smoke cubans, too.

From The Daily Beast

The proceedings expected this week in Guantanamo Bay had been canceled.

From The Daily Beast

First a shower of shells dropping all along the lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay.

From Project Gutenberg

These have canted bay windows below them, and their pediments are surmounted by figures representing Mercury and Athæne.

From Project Gutenberg

Three men were sentenced to grow potatoes at Botany Bay the rest of their lives.

From Project Gutenberg

There are two principal bays of vast size, one called the gulf of St. Lawrence, the other French bay.

From Project Gutenberg

But this port (to obviate misunderstanding) is not on the Ocean lying eastward, but on that gulf which I have called French bay.

From Project Gutenberg