Adjacent Words

Bay definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BAY, a. [L.badius. Blass Bd.] Red, or reddish, inclining to a chestnut color; applied to the color of horses. The shades of this color are called light bay, dark bay, dappled bay, gilded bay, chestnut bay. In popular language, in England, all bay horses are called brown.
BAY, n.
1. An arm of the sea, extending into the land, not of any definite form, but smaller than a gulf, and larger than a creek. The name,however, is not used with much precision, and is often applied to large tracts of water, around which the land forms a curve, as Hudson's Bay. Nor is the name restricted to tracts of water with a narrow entrance, but used for any recess or inlet between capes of head lands, as the bay of Biscay.
2. A pond-head,or a pond formed by a dam, for the purpose of driving mill-wheels. [ I believe not used in U.S.]
3. In a barn, a place between the floor and the end of the building, or a low inclosed place, for depositing hay.
In England, says Johnson, if a barn consists of a floor and two heads, where they lay corn, they call it a barn of two bays. These bays are fRomans 14 to 20 feet long, and floors fRomans 10 to 12 feet broad, and usually 20 feet long, which is the breadth of the barn.
4. In ships of war, that part on each side between decks which lies between the bitts.
5. Any kind of opening in walls.
BAY, n. [Gr. a branch of the palm tree.]
1. The laurel tree, Hence,
2. Bays, in the plural, an honorary garland or crown, bestowed as a prize for victory or excellence, anciently made or consisting of branches of the laurel.
The patriot's honors, and the poet's bays.
3. In some parts of the U.States, a tract of land covered with bay trees.
BAY, n. A state of expectation, watching or looking for; as, to keep a man at bay. So a stag at bay is when he turns his head against the dogs. Whence abeyance, in law, or a state of expectancy.
BAY, v.i.
1. To bark, as a dog at his game.
2. To encompass, or inclose, from bay. We now use embay.
BAY, v.t. To bark at; to follow with barking.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: (used of animals especially a horse) of a moderate reddish-brown color n
1: an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf [syn: bay, embayment]
2: the sound of a hound on the scent
3: small Mediterranean evergreen tree with small blackish berries and glossy aromatic leaves used for flavoring in cooking; also used by ancient Greeks to crown victors [syn: true laurel, bay, bay laurel, bay tree, Laurus nobilis]
4: a compartment on a ship between decks; often used as a hospital; "they put him in the sick bay"
5: a compartment in an aircraft used for some specific purpose; "he opened the bomb bay"
6: a small recess opening off a larger room [syn: alcove, bay]
7: a horse of a moderate reddish-brown color v
1: utter in deep prolonged tones
2: bark with prolonged noises, of dogs [syn: bay, quest]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French bai, from Latin badius; akin to Old Irish buide yellow Date: 14th century reddish brown <a bay mare> II. noun Date: 1535 1. a bay-colored animal; specifically a horse with a bay-colored body and black mane, tail, and points — compare chestnut 4, sorrel I,1 2. a reddish brown III. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French baee opening, from feminine of baé, past participle of baer to be wide open, gape, from Vulgar Latin *batare Date: 14th century 1. a principal compartment of the walls, roof, or other part of a building or of the whole building 2. a main division of a structure 3. any of various compartments or sections used for a special purpose (as in an airplane, spacecraft, or service station) <a bomb bay> <a cargo bay> 4. bay window 1 5. a support or housing for electronic equipment IV. verb Etymology: Middle English baien, abaien, from Anglo-French abaier, of imitative origin Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to bark with prolonged tones <dogs baying at the moon> 2. to cry out ; shout transitive verb 1. to bark at 2. to bring to bay 3. to pursue with barking 4. to utter in deep prolonged tones V. noun Date: 14th century 1. a baying of dogs 2. the position of one unable to retreat and forced to face danger <brought his quarry to bay> 3. the position of one checked <police kept the rioters at bay> VI. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English baye, from Anglo-French bai, perhaps from baer to be wide open Date: 14th century 1. an inlet of the sea or other body of water usually smaller than a gulf 2. a small body of water set off from the main body 3. any of various terrestrial formations resembling a bay of the sea VII. noun Etymology: Middle English, berry, laurel berry, from Anglo-French bai, from L. baca Date: 15th century 1. a. laurel 1 b. any of several shrubs or trees (as the red bay or sweet bay) resembling the laurel — compare bay rum 2. a. a garland or crown especially of laurel given as a prize for victory or excellence b. honor, fame — usually used in plural

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inwards. 2 a recess in a mountain range. Phrases and idioms: Bay State US Massachusetts. Etymology: ME f. OF baie f. OSp. bahia 2. n. 1 (in full bay laurel) a laurel, Laurus nobilis, having deep green leaves and purple berries. Also called SWEET BAY. 2 (in pl.) a wreath made of bay-leaves, for a victor or poet. Phrases and idioms: bay-leaf the aromatic (usu. dried) leaf of the bay-tree, used in cooking. bay rum a perfume, esp. for the hair, distilled orig. from bayberry leaves in rum. Etymology: OF baie f. L baca berry 3. n. 1 a space created by a window-line projecting outwards from a wall. 2 a recess; a section of wall between buttresses or columns, esp. in the nave of a church etc. 3 a compartment (bomb bay). 4 an area specially allocated or marked off (sick bay; loading bay). 5 Brit. the terminus of a branch line at a railway station also having through lines, usu. at the side of an outer platform. Phrases and idioms: bay window a window built into a bay. Etymology: ME f. OF baie f. ba(y)er gape f. med.L batare 4. adj. & n. --adj. (esp. of a horse) dark reddish-brown. --n. a bay horse with a black mane and tail. Etymology: OF bai f. L badius 5. v. & n. --v. 1 intr. (esp. of a large dog) bark or howl loudly and plaintively. 2 tr. bay at. --n. the sound of baying, esp. in chorus from hounds in close pursuit. Phrases and idioms: at bay 1 cornered, apparently unable to escape. 2 in a desperate situation. bring to bay gain on in pursuit; trap. hold (or keep) at bay hold off (a pursuer). stand at bay turn to face one's pursuers. Etymology: ME f. OF bai, baiier bark f. It. baiare, of imit. orig.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bayed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Baying.] [ OE. bayen, abayen, OF. abaier, F. aboyer, to bark; of uncertain origin.] To bark, as a dog with a deep voice does, at his game. The hounds at nearer distance hoarsely bayed. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, v. t. To bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay; as, to bay the bear. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, n. [See Bay, v. i.] 1. Deep-toned, prolonged barking. ``The bay of curs.'' --Cowper. 2. [OE. bay, abay, OF. abai, F. aboi barking, pl. abois, prop. the extremity to which the stag is reduced when surrounded by the dogs, barking (aboyant); aux abois at bay.] A state of being obliged to face an antagonist or a difficulty, when escape has become impossible. Embolden'd by despair, he stood at bay. --Dryden. The most terrible evils are just kept at bay by incessant efforts. --I. Taylor

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, a. [F. bai, fr. L. badius brown, chestnutcolored; -- used only of horses.] Reddish brown; of the color of a chestnut; -- applied to the color of horses. Bay cat (Zo["o]l.), a wild cat of Africa and the East Indies (Felis aurata). Bay lynx (Zo["o]l.), the common American lynx (Felis, or Lynx, rufa).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, n. [F. baie a berry, the fruit of the laurel and other trees, fr. L. baca, bacca, a small round fruit, a berry, akin to Lith. bapka laurel berry.] 1. A berry, particularly of the laurel. [Obs.] 2. The laurel tree (Laurus nobilis). Hence, in the plural, an honorary garland or crown bestowed as a prize for victory or excellence, anciently made or consisting of branches of the laurel. The patriot's honors and the poet's bays. --Trumbull. 3. A tract covered with bay trees. [Local, U. S.] Bay leaf, the leaf of the bay tree (Laurus nobilis). It has a fragrant odor and an aromatic taste.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, n. [F. baie, fr. LL. baia. Of uncertain origin: cf. Ir. & Gael. badh or bagh bay harbor, creek; Bisc. baia, baiya, harbor, and F. bayer to gape, open the mouth.] 1. (Geol.) An inlet of the sea, usually smaller than a gulf, but of the same general character. Note: The name is not used with much precision, and is often applied to large tracts of water, around which the land forms a curve; as, Hudson's Bay. The name is not restricted to tracts of water with a narrow entrance, but is used foe any recess or inlet between capes or headlands; as, the Bay of Biscay. 2. A small body of water set off from the main body; as a compartment containing water for a wheel; the portion of a canal just outside of the gates of a lock, etc. 3. A recess or indentation shaped like a bay. 4. A principal compartment of the walls, roof, or other part of a building, or of the whole building, as marked off by the buttresses, vaulting, mullions of a window, etc.; one of the main divisions of any structure, as the part of a bridge between two piers. 5. A compartment in a barn, for depositing hay, or grain in the stalks. 6. A kind of mahogany obtained from Campeachy Bay. Sick bay, in vessels of war, that part of a deck appropriated to the use of the sick. --Totten.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, v. t. [Cf. OE. b[ae]wen to bathe, and G. b["a]hen to foment.] To bathe. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, v. t. To dam, as water; -- with up or back.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bay Bay, n. A bank or dam to keep back water.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(bays, baying, bayed) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A bay is a part of a coast where the land curves inwards. ...a short ferry ride across the bay. ...the Bay of Bengal. ...the San Francisco Bay area. N-COUNT: oft in names 2. A bay is a partly enclosed area, inside or outside a building, that is used for a particular purpose. The animals are herded into a bay, then butchered... The car reversed into the loading bay. N-COUNT: oft supp N 3. A bay is an area of a room which extends beyond the main walls of a house, especially an area with a large window at the front of a house. N-COUNT 4. A bay horse is reddish-brown in colour. ADJ 5. If a number of people are baying for something, they are demanding something angrily, usually that someone should be punished. The referee ignored voices baying for a penalty. ...the baying crowd. = clamour VERB: usu cont, V for n, V-ing 6. If a dog or wolf bays, it makes loud, long cries. A dog suddenly howled, baying at the moon. VERB: V at n, also V 7. see also sick bay 8. If you keep something or someone at bay, or hold them at bay, you prevent them from reaching, attacking, or affecting you. Eating oranges keeps colds at bay... Prisoners armed with baseball bats used the hostages to hold police at bay. PHRASE: V inflects

Easton's Bible Dictionary

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.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. Reddish-brown. II. n. 1. Bight, inlet of the sea. 2. Recess (as in a room), opening. 3. Compartment. 4. Bay-tree, laurel-tree (Laurus nobilis), sweet laurel. 5. Baywood, Campeachy mahogany. 6. Laurel-crown, chaplet, laurel, garland, fame, renown, glory, honor, plaudits, praise, applause. 7. Bark, barking, baying, yelp. 8. Desperation, last resort, facing for life, life-and-death struggle. 9. Check, thwart, one's distance. III. v. n. Bark, yelp. IV. v. a. Bark at, pursue with baying.

Moby Thesaurus

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