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bay

 [bey]   Example Sentences Origin

bay

1   [bey]
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.
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.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English baye < Middle French baie < Medieval Latin, Late Latin bāia, perhaps by back formation from Latin Bāiae name of a spa on the Bay of Naples

Synonyms
1. inlet, estuary, sound, firth, bight.

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Bay is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Example Sentences
  • Sweet bay shrimp meld perfectly with grilled corn and creamy risotto.
  • Oil is expected to keep washing into the bay for months.
  • The best way to be an effective sniper is to hold the enemy at bay.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

bay

2   [bey]
noun
1.
Architecture.
a.
any of a number of similar major vertical divisions of a large interior, wall, etc.: The nave is divided into six bays.
b.
a division of a window between a mullion and an adjoining mullion or jamb.
c.
bay window (def. 1).
2.
Aeronautics.
a.
any portion of an airplane set off by two successive bulkheads or other bracing members.
b.
a compartment in an aircraft: a bomb bay; an engine bay.
3.
a compartment, as in a barn for storing hay.
4.
Also called drive bay. an open compartment in the console housing a computer's CPU in which a disk drive, tape drive, etc., may be installed.
5.
Nautical.
a.
the deck space between the anchor windlass and the stem of a vessel.
b.
sick bay.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English < Middle French baee an opening in a wall, noun use of feminine past participle of baer to stand open, gape < Vulgar Latin *batāre

Synonyms
3. alcove, nook, recess, niche; loft, garret.

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)
5.
to howl, especially with a deep, prolonged sound, as a hound on the scent.
verb (used with object)
6.
to assail with deep, prolonged howling: a troubled hound baying the moon.
7.
to bring to or to hold at bay: A dog bays its quarry.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English, aphetic variant of abay < Anglo-French, dialectal Old French abai barking, noun derivative of abaier to bark, from an imitative base *bay-

Synonyms
5. roar, bellow, bark, bell, clamor.

bay

4   [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.
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.
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6.
bays, fame; renown.
COLLAPSE
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English bai(e), Old English beg- (in begbēam literally, berry tree), conflated with Middle French baie < Latin bāca, bacca berry

bay

5   [bey]
noun
1.
reddish brown.
2.
a horse or other animal of reddish-brown color.
adjective
3.
(of horses or other animals) having a reddish-brown body.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English < Middle French bai < Latin badius; compare Old Irish buide yellow
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To bay
Collins
World English Dictionary
bay1 (beɪ)
 
—n
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.  (US) an extension of prairie into woodland
 
[C14: from Old French baie, perhaps from Old French baer to gape, from Medieval Latin batāre to yawn]

bay2 (beɪ)
 
—n
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
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.  (Brit) a tracked recess in the platform of a railway station, esp one forming the terminus of a branch line
 
[C14: from Old French baee gap or recess in a wall, from baer to gape; see bay1]

bay3 (beɪ)
 
—n
1.  a deep howl or growl, esp of a hound on the scent
2.  at bay
 a.  (of a person or animal) forced to turn and face attackers: the dogs held the deer at bay
 b.  at a distance: to keep a disease at bay
3.  bring to bay to force into a position from which retreat is impossible
 
—vb
4.  (intr) to howl (at) in deep prolonged tones
5.  (tr) to utter in a loud prolonged tone
6.  (tr) to drive to or hold at bay
 
[C13: from Old French abaiier to bark, of imitative origin]

bay4 (beɪ)
 
—n
1.  See laurel 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
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
4.  any of certain other trees or shrubs, esp bayberry
5.  (plural) See laurel a wreath of bay leaves
 
[C14: from Old French baie laurel berry, from Latin bāca berry]

bay5 (beɪ)
 
—n
1.  a.  a moderate reddish-brown colour
 b.  (as adjective): a bay horse
2.  an animal of this colour, esp a horse
 
[C14: from Old French bai, from Latin badius]

bayberry or bay (ˈbeɪbərɪ)
 
—n , pl -ries
1.  See also wax myrtle any of several North American aromatic shrubs or small trees of the genus Myrica, that bear grey waxy berries: family Myricaceae
2.  Also called: bay rum tree a tropical American myrtaceous tree, Pimenta racemosa, that yields an oil used in making bay rum
3.  the fruit of any of these plants
 
bay or bay
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bay
"inlet of the sea," late 14c., from O.Fr. baie, L.L. baia (c.640), from Iberian bahia.
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bay
"opening in a wall," early 14c. (especially bay window, c.1400), from O.Fr. baee "opening, hole, gulf," noun use of fem. pp. of bayer "to gape, yawn," from M.L. batare "gape," perhaps of imitative origin. Sick-bay "forepart of a ship's main deck used as a hospital" is from 1580s, from the notion of a
recessed space.

bay
"howl of a hound" (especially when hunting), c.1300, from O.Fr. bayer, from PIE base *bai- echoic of howling (cf. Gk. bauzein, L. baubari "to bark," Eng. bow-wow; cf. also bawl). Noun meaning "cornering of a hunted animal" is also 14c. At bay (1640s) is from special sense of "chorus raised by hounds
in conflict with quarry," and reflects the former more widespread use of at.

bay
"reddish-brown," mid-14c., from Anglo-Fr. bai, from O.Fr. bai, from L. badius "chestnut-brown" (used only of horses), from PIE *badyo- "yellow, brown" (cf. O.Ir. buide "yellow"). Also elliptical for a horse of this color.

bay
"shrub" (Laurus nobilis, source of the bay leaf), late 14c., originally only of the berry, from O.Fr. baie (12c.) "berry, seed," from L. baca "berry." Extension to the shrub itself is from 1520s. The leaves or sprigs were woven as wreaths for conquerors or poets. Bayberry first recorded 1570s.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
bay   (bā)  Pronunciation Key 

  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 © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

bay definition

hardware
(As in an aeroplane "cargo bay") A space in a cabinet into which a device of a certain size can be physically mounted and connected to power and data.
Common examples are a "drive bay" into which a disk drive (usually either 3.5 inch or 5.25 inch) can be inserted or the space in a docking station where you insert a notebook computer or laptop computer to work as a desktop computer or to charge their batteries, print or connect to the office network, etc.
(1999-01-11)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
Cite This Source
Easton
Bible Dictionary

Bay definition


denotes the estuary of the Dead Sea at the mouth of the Jordan (Josh. 15:5; 18:19), also the southern extremity of the same sea (15:2). The same Hebrew word is rendered "tongue" in Isa. 11:15, where it is used with reference to the forked mouths of the Nile. Bay in Zech. 6:3, 7 denotes the colour of horses, but the original Hebrew means strong, and is here used rather to describe the horses as fleet or spirited.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

bay

see at bay.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases
at bay
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