quay

noun \ ˈkē , ˈkā , ˈkwā \

|Updated on: 12 May 2018

Examples: quay in a Sentence

Definition of quay

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

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Examples of quay in a Sentence

docked the ferry at the quay to let the passengers off

Recent Examples of quay from the Web

Order a jar of olives and stay a while, or continue a wine pilgrimage to the under-a-bridge locale of Rosforth & Rosforth, an influential wine importer that hosts weekly tastings and summertime pop-ups on the quay.

— New York Times, "36 Hours in Copenhagen," 26 Apr. 2018
There was Bruce, standing on the quay in glo-yellow Crocs, next to Lee Marie: 57 feet long, not quite 7 feet wide, its boxy superstructure as shiny-black as a mobster’s coffin.

— dan neil, WSJ, "The Low-Cost Way to Live Abroad: Buy a Boat," 30 Mar. 2018
Water lapped the underside of historic bridges and engulfed cobblestone quays, where tree tops and lampposts now poke out of the brown, swirling Seine.

— oleg cetinic, The Seattle Times, "French towns swim in floodwaters that are rising in Paris," 28 Jan. 2018
The first is Thonis-Heracleion, which in the eighth century B.C. was a huge port complex, incorporating an array of canals, quays and sandbars.

— edward rothstein, WSJ, "‘Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds’ Review: Treasures Beneath the Waves," 27 Mar. 2018
Leisure boats are moored along the quay of the Yonne River, which is lined with three-star hotels and open-air brasseries.

— hugh garvey, Condé Nast Traveler, "Eating and Drinking Through Burgundy with Chef Ludo Lefebvre," 23 Mar. 2018
When a sea breeze carries the scent of this huddled mass ashore, the Red Cross workers on the quay recoil.

— alex perry, Newsweek, "Migrants and the New Mediterranean Mafia," 10 June 2015
But a bicycle path, inaugurated in 2005, brought Roman cyclists and runners back to the quays.

— lee marshall, WSJ, "How to Spend an Indulgent Day in Rome for $2,000—or $400," 7 Mar. 2018
Rivers swollen by France's heaviest rains in 50 years have engulfed romantic quays in Paris, swallowed up gardens and roads, halted riverboat cruises - and raised concerns about climate change.

— associated press, Houston Chronicle, "France sees worst rains in 50 years as floods peak in Paris," 29 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of quay

alteration of earlier key, from Middle English, from Middle French dialect (Picard) kay, probably of Celt origin; akin to Breton kae hedge, enclosure; akin to Old English hecg hedge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1561

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

quay Synonyms

Synonyms

dock, float, jetty, landing, levee, pier, wharf;

Related Words

berth, mooring, slip;

dockyard, marina, quayage, shipyard, wharfage;

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

QUAY Defined for English Language Learners

quay

noun

Definition of quay for English Language Learners

: a structure built on the land next to a river, lake, or ocean that is used as a place for boats to stop for loading and unloading freight and passengers