bay

1
[ bey ]
See synonyms for: baybayedbayerbayest on Thesaurus.com
noun

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

  2. South Atlantic States. an arm of a swamp.

  1. a recess of land, partly surrounded by hills.

  2. an arm of a prairie or swamp, extending into woods and partly surrounded by them.

Origin of bay

1
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

Other words for bay

Words that may be confused with bay

Other definitions for bay (2 of 5)

bay2
[ bey ]
noun

  1. Architecture.

    • any of a number of similar major vertical divisions of a large interior, wall, etc.: The nave is divided into six bays.

    • a division of a window between a mullion and an adjoining mullion or jamb.

    • bay window (def. 1).

  2. Aeronautics.

    • any portion of an airplane set off by two successive bulkheads or other bracing members.

    • a compartment in an aircraft: a bomb bay; an engine bay.

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

  2. 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.

  3. Nautical.

    • the deck space between the anchor windlass and the stem of a vessel.

    • sick bay.

Origin of bay

2
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”

Other words for bay

Other definitions for bay (3 of 5)

bay3
[ 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.

  1. 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).

  2. 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.

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.

Origin of bay

3
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

Other words for bay

Other definitions for bay (4 of 5)

bay4
[ bey ]
noun

  1. laurel (def. 1).

  2. Also called bayberry, bay rum tree . a tropical American shrub, Pimenta racemosa, having aromatic leaves that are used in making bay oil and bay rum.

  1. any of various laurellike trees or shrubs.

  2. any of several magnolias.

  3. an honorary garland or crown bestowed for military victory, literary excellence, etc.

  4. bays, Literary. fame; renown: Tennyson had fairly won his bays.

Origin of bay

4
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”

Other definitions for bay (5 of 5)

bay5
[ 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.

Origin of bay

5
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”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bay (1 of 5)

bay1

/ (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

  1. US an extension of prairie into woodland

Origin of bay

1
C14: from Old French baie, perhaps from Old French baer to gape, from Medieval Latin batāre to yawn

British Dictionary definitions for bay (2 of 5)

bay2

/ (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

  1. See bay window

  2. an area off a road in which vehicles may park or unload, esp one adjacent to a shop, factory, etc

  3. a compartment in an aircraft, esp one used for a specified purpose: the bomb bay

  4. nautical a compartment in the forward part of a ship between decks, often used as the ship's hospital

  5. British a tracked recess in the platform of a railway station, esp one forming the terminus of a branch line

Origin of bay

2
C14: from Old French baee gap or recess in a wall, from baer to gape; see bay 1

British Dictionary definitions for bay (3 of 5)

bay3

/ (beɪ) /

noun

  1. a deep howl or growl, esp of a hound on the scent

  2. at bay

    • (of a person or animal) forced to turn and face attackers: the dogs held the deer at bay

    • at a distance: to keep a disease at bay

  1. 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

  1. (tr) to drive to or hold at bay

Origin of bay

3
C13: from Old French abaiier to bark, of imitative origin

British Dictionary definitions for bay (4 of 5)

bay4

/ (beɪ) /

noun

  1. Also called: bay 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 (def. 1)

  2. any of various other trees with strongly aromatic leaves used in cooking, esp a member of the genera Myrica or Pimenta

  1. any of several magnolias: See sweet bay

  2. any of certain other trees or shrubs, esp bayberry

  3. (plural) a wreath of bay leaves: See laurel (def. 6)

Origin of bay

4
C14: from Old French baie laurel berry, from Latin bāca berry

British Dictionary definitions for bay (5 of 5)

bay5

/ (beɪ) /

noun

    • a moderate reddish-brown colour

    • (as adjective): a bay horse

  2. an animal of this colour, esp a horse

Origin of bay

5
C14: from Old French bai, from Latin badius

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for bay

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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with bay

bay

see at bay.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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