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cay

[key, kee]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cay ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a small low island; key.

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RELATED WORDS

islet, isle, ait

Nearby words

  1. caxias,
  2. caxias do sul,
  3. caxton,
  4. caxton, william,
  5. caxtonian,
  6. cayce,
  7. cayenne,
  8. cayenne pepper,
  9. cayes,
  10. cayey

Origin of cay

1700–10; < Spanish cayo; see key2
Can be confusedcay key quay
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cay

British Dictionary definitions for cay

cay

noun

a small low island or bank composed of sand and coral fragments, esp in the Caribbean areaAlso called: key

Word Origin for cay

C18: from Spanish cayo, probably from Old French quai quay
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
Word Origin and History for cay

cay

n.

"low island," 1707, from Spanish cayo; see key (n.2).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for cay

cay

[kē, kā]

A small, low island composed largely of coral or sand. Also called key
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.