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• quay
  quay

  noun

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

  noun

  Matthew Stanley, 1833–1904, U.S. politician: senator 1887–99, 1901–4.

quay

¹ American  

[kee, kay, kway] / ki, keɪ, kweɪ /

noun

• quays
  plural

1. 

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

   Synonyms:

   levee, landing, dock, pier

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Quay ² American  

[kway] / kweɪ /

noun

1. Matthew Stanley, 1833–1904, U.S. politician: senator 1887–99, 1901–4.

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quay British  

/ kiː /

noun

1. a wharf, typically one built parallel to the shoreline Compare pier

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• quaylike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• quays
  plural

Etymology

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 key ²

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quay Quay quays

At the port of Granadilla de Abona early Sunday morning, AFP journalists saw white tents had been sent up along the quay and the police had secured part of the port.

From Barron's ● May 10, 2026

Its rigorous order and deep perspective, enhanced by the receding lines of ship masts and rail tracks along the expansive quay, address his motif in a style apropos of its modern subject.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

The “Turenges” took a room in a hotel overlooking the harbor and discovered, to their surprise, an unguarded entrance that allowed them to observe the quay itself.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025

The terminal operator International Transportation Service plans to fill in a 19-acre area of water and extend the existing quay by 560 feet, which would allow larger ships to dock at the port.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2025

Two more blocks and they’d be at the quay and freedom.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

In 2021, the star staked out an East Coast perch, picking up a Brooklyn waterfront condo in the stunning Quay building, the New York Post reported.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Earlier this month, it hosted a gathering for artists at Ham Green House in Pill, and is soon launching an artist residency at East Quay in Watchet.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

A riverside path runs from the Dock Park out to Kingholm Quay.

From BBC ● May 2, 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

Paddy lives in one of the tall houses on Arthur’s Quay looking at the river.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

By now the news of their arrival had reached the town, and the quays were lined with people cheering in amazement at the return of the Corps of Discovery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

On the stone quays of the Seine, even the most passionate odes to the river’s charms tend to arrive at the same conclusion: Nope.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2024

As of now, there has been no set date on when the booksellers should leave the quays.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 25, 2023

Alongside quays and canals on the southern side of the River Liffey, glistening glass offices house key European bases for some of the richest companies on earth.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2023

With heavy heart, I made my way along the quays to inquire after positions.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson