bay

1 of 7

adjective

: 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 baysHelen 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
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
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

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 On Friday, Stephen Piscotty’s ninth-inning slam capped a furious comeback against the Giants and propelled the A’s to an 8-7 win in 10 innings in the opener of the cross-bay series at Oracle Park. Matt Kawahara, SFChronicle.com, 14 Aug. 2020
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 See all Example Sentences for bay 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bay was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bay

Cite this Entry

“Bay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bay. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

bay

1 of 7 adjective
: 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

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
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"

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