quay

[ kee, key, kwey ]
/ ki, keɪ, kweɪ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR quay ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a landing place, especially one of solid masonry, constructed along the edge of a body of water; wharf.

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Origin of quay

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 key2

OTHER WORDS FROM quay

quay·like, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH quay

cay key quay

Words nearby quay

quatre bras, quatrefoil, quattrocento, quattuordecillion, quaver, quay, quayage, quayle, quayside, quazzy, qubba

Definition for quay (2 of 2)

Quay
[ kwey ]
/ kweɪ /

noun

Matthew Stanley,1833–1904, U.S. politician: senator 1887–99, 1901–4.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to quay

berth, wharf, slip, jetty, landing, levee, key

Example sentences from the Web for quay

British Dictionary definitions for quay

quay
/ (kiː) /

noun

a wharf, typically one built parallel to the shorelineCompare pier (def. 1)

Word Origin for quay

C14 keye, from Old French kai, of Celtic origin; compare Cornish kē hedge, fence, Old Breton cai fence
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