bay

1 of 7

adjective

ˈbā 

: reddish brown

a bay mare

bay

2 of 7

noun (1)

1

: an animal that is a reddish-brown color : a bay (see bay entry 1) animal

specifically : a horse with a bay-colored body and black mane, tail, and points (see point entry 1 sense 6b(3)) compare chestnut entry 1 sense 4, sorrel entry 1 sense 1

2

: a reddish brown

bay

3 of 7

noun (2)

1

architecture : a principal compartment of the walls, roof, or other part of a building or of the whole building

… the transverse arches and adjacent piers of the arcade divide the building into bays …

—Helen Gardner

2

architecture : a main division of a structure

a barn with three bays

3

: any of various compartments or sections used for a special purpose (as in an airplane, spacecraft, or gas station)

a bomb bay

a cargo bay

4

: bay window sense 1

5

: a support or housing for electronic equipment

bay

4 of 7

verb

bayed; baying; bays

intransitive verb

1

: to bark with prolonged tones

dogs baying at the moon

2

: to cry out : shout

a baying crowd

transitive verb

1

: to bark at

dogs baying the moon

2

: to bring to the position of one unable to retreat and forced to face danger : to bring to bay (see bay entry 5 sense 2)

hounds baying a fox

3

: to pursue with barking

… dogs baying and driving him up a tree …

—Charles Darwin

4

: to utter in deep prolonged tones

bay

5 of 7

noun (3)

1

: an instance of a dog barking with prolonged tones : a baying (see bay entry 4 sense 1) of dogs

followed the trail in full bay

2

: the position of one unable to retreat and forced to face danger

brought the boar to bay

3

: the position of one checked

police kept the rioters at bay

bay

6 of 7

noun (4)

often attributive

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

a bay of prairie

bay

7 of 7

noun (5)

1

botany

a

: laurel sense 1

b

: any of several shrubs or trees (such 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

had won the bays

b

: honor, fame

—usually used in plural

The patriot's honours and the poet's bays.

—John Trumbull

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• cabin
• cell
• chamber
• compartment
• cube
• cubicle

Verb

• bawl
• bellow
• call
• cry
• holler
• hollo
• halloo
• hallo
• roar
• shout
• sound off
• thunder
• vociferate
• yell

Noun (4)

• arm
• bight
• cove
• creek [chiefly British]
• embayment
• estuary
• firth
• fjord
• fiord
• gulf
• inlet
• loch [Scottish]

Noun (5)

• acclaim
• accolade
• applause
• credit
• distinction
• glory
• homage
• honor
• kudos
• laud
• laurels
• props [slang]
• réclame
• sun

Examples of bay in a Sentence

Noun (2)

the garage has three separate bays for cars

Verb

the mob was baying for revenge

the lonesome beagle bayed whenever someone walked by

Noun (4)

the bay is a favorite cruising ground for weekend yachtsmen

Noun (5)

he wrote for his own personal satisfaction, not for any bays that the literary establishment might deign to bestow

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The gantries will be located at a mid-bay interchange within the 7.4-mile distance between downtown Mobile and the U.S. 98/90 exit in Daphne. —al, 29 June 2022

In its back-bays study, the corps imagines protecting Absecon Island, which is divvied up between Atlantic City and three other towns, with a storm-surge barrier and a cross-bay barrier along with connections to levees and flood walls. —New York Times, 13 Aug. 2021

Verb

The bear was bayed once again quickly but close enough for the hunters to arrive at the bay site and dispatch it. —Buckley T. Foster Special To The Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 29 Sep. 2024

Her solo exhibition in Italy, one of 30 events chosen as official extensions of the Venice Biennale, opened to baying crowds in April around the same time her giant public installations were being seen by millions of New Yorkers on Park Avenue. —Gordon Cole-Schmidt, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2024

Noun

Already, communities across the bay are arming themselves with legal know-how: forming volunteer groups to monitor for ICE, connecting immigrants to lawyers, and preparing contingency plans in case of deportation. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024

Add the broth, bouillon, thyme, sage, bay leaves, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. —Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French bai, from Latin badius; akin to Old Irish buide yellow

Noun (1)

noun derivative of bay entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French baee opening, from feminine of baé, past participle of baer to be wide open, gape, from Vulgar Latin *batare

Verb

Middle English baien, abaien, from Anglo-French abaier, of imitative origin

Noun (3)

Middle English bai, abai, borrowed from Anglo-French abai, noun derivative of abaier "to bay entry 4"

Noun (4)

Middle English baye, from Anglo-French bai, perhaps from baer to be wide open

Noun (5)

Middle English, berry, laurel berry, from Anglo-French bai, from L. baca

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (5)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bay

• at bay
• bay for blood
• bay leaf
• bay rum
• bay-rum tree
• bay scallop
• bay window
• Cleveland bay
• loading bay
• red bay
• sick bay
• sweet bay

Kids Definition

bay

1 of 7 adjective

ˈbā 

: reddish brown

a bay mare

bay

2 of 7 noun

1

: a horse with a bay-colored body and black mane, tail, and lower legs

2

: a reddish brown

bay

3 of 7 noun

1

: a section or compartment of a building or vehicle

a bomb bay

a cargo bay

2

: bay window

bay

4 of 7 verb

1

: to bark or bark at with long deep tones

wolves baying at the moon

2

: to cry out : shout

3

: to bring (as an animal) to bay

bay

5 of 7 noun

1

: the baying of a dog : a deep bark

2

: the position of an animal or person forced to face pursuers when it is impossible to escape

brought the fox to bay

3

: the position of one restrained or held off

used strong medicines to keep the infection at bay

bay

6 of 7 noun

: an inlet of a body of water (as the sea) that is usually smaller than a gulf

bay

7 of 7 noun

1

a

: laurel sense 1

b

: any of several shrubs or trees resembling the laurel

2

: a laurel wreath given as a prize

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English bay "reddish brown," from early French bai (same meaning), from Latin badius "reddish brown"

Noun

Middle English bay "main part of a building," from early French baee "opening," derived from earlier baer "to be wide open, gape"

Verb

Middle English baien, abaien "to bay," from early French abaier (same meaning), originally a word to imitate the sound

Noun

Middle English baye "inlet," from early French bai, perhaps from baer "to be wide open"

Noun

Middle English bay "berry, laurel berry," from early French baie (same meaning), from Latin baca "berry"