Bay

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Bay, a. [F. bai, fr. L. badius brown, chestnut-colored; -- used only of horses.].

 Reddish brown; of the color of a chestnut; -- applied to the color of horses.  [1913 Webster]

Bay cat (Zoöl.), a wild cat of Africa and the East Indies (Felis aurata). -- Bay lynx (Zoöl.), the common American lynx (Lynx lynx, formerly Felis rufa or Lynx rufa).

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.].

•  An inlet of the sea, usually smaller than a gulf, but of the same general character.  [1913 Webster]

  " 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 for any recess or inlet between capes or headlands; as, the Bay of Biscay."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  A recess or indentation shaped like a bay.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  A compartment in a barn, for depositing hay, or grain in the stalks.  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of mahogany obtained from Campeachy Bay.  [1913 Webster]

Sick bay, in vessels of war, that part of a deck appropriated to the use of the sick. Totten.

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.].

•  A berry, particularly of the laurel.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "The patriot's honors and the poet's bays."  [1913 Webster]
•  A tract covered with bay trees.  [1913 Webster]

Bay leaf, the leaf of the bay tree (Laurus nobilis). It has a fragrant odor and an aromatic taste, and is used for flavoring in food.

Bay, v. i. [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.  [1913 Webster]
"The hounds at nearer distance hoarsely bayed."  [1913 Webster]

Bay, v. t. 

 To bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay; as, to bay the bear.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Bay, n. [See Bay, v. i.].

•  Deep-toned, prolonged barking.  Cowper.  [1913 Webster]
•  A state of being obliged to face an antagonist or a difficulty, when escape has become impossible.  [1913 Webster]

  "Embolden'd by despair, he stood at bay."  [1913 Webster]

  "The most terrible evils are just kept at bay by incessant efforts."  [1913 Webster]

Bay, v. t. [Cf. OE. bæwen to bathe, and G. bähen to foment.].

 To bathe.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

Bay, n. 

 A bank or dam to keep back water.  [1913 Webster]

Bay, v. t. 

 To dam, as water; -- with up or back.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Bay, n.
1 a broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inwards.
2 a recess in a mountain range.

Idiom

Bay State US Massachusetts.

Bay, 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.

Idiom

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.

Bay, 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.

Idiom

bay window a window built into a bay.

Bay, adj. & n.
--adj. (esp. of a horse) dark reddish-brown.
--n. a bay horse with a black mane and tail.

Bay, 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.

Idiom

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.

THESAURUS

Bay

Old Mug, Titian, accolade, adust, alcove, archives, arm, armlet, armory, arsenal, attic, auburn, award, badge, bank, bark, basement, bawl, bay window, bay-colored, bayard, bayou, bays, beep, bell, bellow, belt, bight, bin, blare, blast, blat, blate, bleat, blow, blow the horn, boca, bonded warehouse, bookcase, bow window, box, bray, brazen, bronze, bronze-colored, bronzed, brownish-red, buckskin, bugle, bunker, buttery, calico pony, call, cargo dock, carrel, casement, casement window, castaneous, caterwaul, cellar, chaplet, chest, chestnut, chestnut-brown, civic crown, clarion, closet, conservatory, copper, copper-colored, coppery, corner, cove, cranny, crate, creek, crib, crown, cry, cubby, cubbyhole, cubicle, cup, cupboard, cupreous, dapple-gray, decoration, depository, depot, distinction, dock, drawer, dump, dun, estuary, euripus, exchequer, fan window, fanfare, fanlight, ferruginous, fjord, flourish of trumpets, foxy, frith, garland, give tongue, give voice, glory hole, godown, gray, grille, grizzle, gulf, gut, harbor, henna, hold, honk, howl, hutch, inglenook, inlet, kudos, kyle, lancet window, lantern, lattice, laurel, laurels, library, light, liver-brown, liver-colored, livid-brown, loch, locker, louver window, loving cup, low, lumber room, lumberyard, magasin, magazine, mahogany, meow, mew, mewl, miaow, moo, mouth, narrow, narrow seas, narrows, natural harbor, neigh, niche, nicker, nook, oriel, paint, painted pony, palm, palms, pane, peal, picture window, piebald, pinto, pipe, pitchhole, port, porthole, pot, pule, quest, rack, reach, recess, recession, reddish-brown, repertory, repository, reservoir, rick, road, roads, roadstead, roan, roar, roomlet, rose window, rubiginous, rufous, russet, russety, rust, rust-colored, rusty, screak, scream, screech, shelf, shriek, skewbald, skylight, slough, snuggery, sorrel, sound, sound a tattoo, sound taps, squall, squeak, squeal, stack, stack room, stock room, storage, store, storehouse, storeroom, strait, straits, sunburned, supply base, supply depot, tank, tantara, tantarara, taps, tarantara, tattoo, terra-cotta, toot, tootle, transom, treasure house, treasure room, treasury, troat, trophy, trumpet, trumpet blast, trumpet call, tweedle, ululate, vat, vault, wail, warehouse, whicker, whine, whinny, whistle, wicket, wind, window, window bay, window glass, windowpane, wine cellar, wreath, yap, yawl, yawp, yelp, yip, yowl

ROGET THESAURUS

Bay

Concavity

N concavity, depression, dip, hollow, hollowness, indentation, intaglio, cavity, dent, dint, dimple, follicle, pit, sinus, alveolus, lacuna, excavation, strip mine, trough, honeycomb, cup, basin, crater, punch bowl, cell, socket, valley, vale, dale, dell, dingle, combe, bottom, slade, strath, glade, grove, glen, cave, cavern, cove, grot, grotto, alcove, cul-de- sac, gully, arch, bay, excavator, sapper, miner, honeycomb (sponge), depressed, alveolate, calathiform, cup-shaped, dishing, favaginous, faveolate, favose, scyphiform, scyphose, concave, hollow, stove in, retiring, retreating, cavernous, porous, infundibul, infundibular, infundibuliform, funnel shaped, bell shaped, campaniform, capsular, vaulted, arched.

Lake

N gulf, lake, land covered with water, gulf, gulph, bay, inlet, bight, estuary, arm of the sea, bayou, fiord, armlet, frith, firth, ostiary, mouth, lagune, lagoon, indraught, cove, creek, natural harbor, roads, strait, narrows, Euripus, sound, belt, gut, kyles, continental slope, continental shelf, lake, loch, lough, mere, tarn, plash, broad, pond, pool, lin, puddle, slab, well, artesian well, standing water, dead water, sheet of water, fish pond, mill pond, ditch, dike, dyke, dam, reservoir, alberca, barachois, hog wallow, lacustrine.

Ululation

VB cry, roar, bellow, blare, rebellow, growl, snarl, bark, bow-wow, yelp, bay, bay at the moon, yap, yip, yipe, growl, yarr, yawl, snarl, howl, grunt, gruntle, snort, squeak neigh, whinny, bray, mew, mewl, meow, purr, caterwaul, pule, baa, bleat, low, moo, troat, croak, peep, coo, gobble, quack, honk, gaggle, guggle, crow, caw, squawk, screech cackle, cluck, clack, chuck, chuckle, hoot, hoo, chirp, cheep, chirrup, twitter, cuckoo, warble, trill, tweet, pipe, whistle, hum, buzz, hiss, blatter, ratatat.

Brown

N brown, bister ocher, sepia, Vandyke brown, brown, bay, dapple, auburn, castaneous, chestnut, nut-brown, cinnamon, russet, tawny, fuscous, chocolate, maroon, foxy, tan, brunette, whitey brown, fawn-colored, snuff-colored, liver-colored, brown as a berry, brown as mahogany, brown as the oak leaves, khaki, sun-burnt, tanned.