quay

noun

ˈkē  ˈkā  ˈkwā 

: a structure built parallel to the bank of a waterway for use as a landing place

Synonyms of quay

• wharf
• dock
• pier

Examples of quay in a Sentence

docked the ferry at the quay to let the passengers off

Recent Examples on the Web

According to Vantor, the image shows the construction of a dry dock and new quays and piers at one of China’s most strategically important bases. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025

Open only on the weekends from May to October, this has become our apéro (French version of pre-dinner drinks and snacks) ritual, ordering freshly shucked oysters and prawns from the waterfront stand before settling into one of the picnic tables spilling out along the terrace on the quay. —Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025

The trip begins and ends in the historic Ponta Delgada, with stops at Horta, known for its colorful quay walls and bustling marina that hosts virtually every yacht that crosses the Atlantic; and the UNESCO town of Angra do Heroísmo. —Jeri Clausing, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025

Seaports will have nearby seabed dredged and quays constructed to accommodate naval and transport vessels. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English keye, kaye, borrowed from Anglo-French kay, caye, keye, corresponding to Middle French (Picardy) kay, going back to Gaulish *kagi̯o- (late Gaulish caio) "enclosure," going back to Celtic — more at haw entry 1

Note: The spelling quay, first appearing in the sixteenth century, follows modern French. As noted by the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, the expected outcome of Middle English keye would be /keɪ/ in Modern English. — The form caio, glossed "breialo sive bigardio" (meaning perhaps "demarcated field or wood"), is found in Endlicher's Glossary, a collection of words dated in its earliest version to the eighth century that were taken by the glossator to be of Gaulish origin (and hence entitled "De nominibus Gallicis"). Compare also cai, glossed cancelli "latticed barrier" in Late Latin texts (see Thesaurus linguae Latinae s.v.). In Normandy and Picardy, from where kay spread to France generally, the original reference was perhaps to a barrier demarcating part of a seashore or river bank that was built up with stone or earth to make a loading area for boats. The corresponding word in Poitou was chai.

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quay

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

quay

noun

ˈkē  ˈk(w)ā 

: a structure built along the bank of a waterway for use as a landing place