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bight

 - 4 dictionary results

bight

  [bahyt]
Use bight in a Sentence
–noun
1. the middle part of a rope, as distinguished from the ends.
2. the loop or bent part of a rope, as distinguished from the ends.
3. a bend or curve in the shore of a sea or river.
4. a body of water bounded by such a bend.
5. a bay or gulf.
–verb (used with object)
6. to fasten with a bight of rope.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME byght, OE byht bend, bay; c. D bocht, G Bucht; akin to bow 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bight
bight   (bīt)   
n.  

    1. A loop in a rope.

    2. The middle or slack part of an extended rope.

    3. A bend or curve, especially in a shoreline.

    4. A wide bay formed by such a bend or curve.

    1. A bend or curve, especially in a shoreline.

    2. A wide bay formed by such a bend or curve.


[Middle English, bend, angle, from Old English byht; see bheug- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

bight 
O.E. byht "bend, angle, corner" (related to bow), from P.Gmc. *bukhtis (cf. M.L.G. bucht, Ger. Bucht, Du. bocht). Geological sense of "indentation on a coastline" is from 1481.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
bight   (bīt)  Pronunciation Key 
A long, gradual bend or curve in a shoreline. A bight can be larger than a bay, or it can be a segment of a bay.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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