bay

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see also: Bay

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Pronunciation

• enPR: bā, IPA: /beɪ/

Noun

bay (plural bays)

1. (obsolete) A berry.
2. ll mul, a tree or shrub of the family Lauraceae, having dark green leaves and berries.
3. Bay leaf, the leaf of this or certain other species of tree or shrub, used as a herb.
4. (in the plural, now rare) The leaves of this shrub, woven into a garland used to reward a champion or victor; hence, fame, victory.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.i:

     both you here with many a cursed oth, / Sweare she is yours, and stirre vp bloudie frayes, / To win a willow bough, whilest other weares the bayes.

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

5. (US, dialect) A tract covered with bay trees.
6. A kind of mahogany obtained from Campeche in Mexico.

Synonyms

• (Laurus nobilis) bay laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, bay tree
• (Garland symbolic of fame, victor) laurels

Translations

• French: laurier
• German: Lorbeer
• Italian: alloro
• Portuguese: loureiro, louro
• Russian: лавр
• Spanish: laurel

Translations

• French: laurier
• German: Lorbeerblatt, Lorbeer
• Italian: alloro
• Portuguese: louro
• Russian: лавро́вый лист
• Spanish: laurel

Noun

bay (plural bays)

1. (geography) A body of water (especially the sea) more or less three-quarters surrounded by land.
2. A bank or dam to keep back water.

Synonyms

• (body of water) gulf

Translations

• French: baie
• German: Golf, Bucht, Meerbusen
• Italian: baia, golfo
• Portuguese: baía
• Russian: зали́в
• Spanish: bahía

Noun

bay (plural bays)

1. An opening in a wall, especially between two columns.
2. An internal recess; a compartment or area surrounded on three sides.
3. The distance between two supports in a vault or building with a pitched roof.
4. (nautical) Each of the spaces, port and starboard, between decks, forward of the bitts, in sailing warships.
5. (rail transport) A bay platform.
6. A bay window.

Translations

• French: compartiment, baie
• Italian: vano
• Portuguese: vão
• Russian: отсе́к

Translations

• Portuguese: tramo, intercolúnio
• Russian: пролёт

Noun

bay (plural bays)

1. The excited howling of dogs when hunting or being attacked.
2. (by extension) The climactic confrontation between hunting-dogs and their prey.
3. (figuratively) A state of being obliged to face an antagonist or a difficulty, when escape has become impossible.

   • Embolden'd by despair, he stood at bay.

   • The most terrible evils are just kept at bay by incessant efforts.

Verb

bay (bays, present participle baying; past and past participle bayed)

1. (intransitive) To howl.

   • The hounds at nearer distance hoarsely bayed.

2. (transitive) To bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay.

   to bay the bear

3. (transitive) To pursue noisily, like a pack of hounds.

Translations

• French: aboyer

Adjective

bay

1. Of a reddish-brown colour (especially of horses).

Translations

• French: bai
• Portuguese: alazão
• Russian: гнедо́й
• Spanish: alazán

Noun

bay

1. A brown colour/color of the coat of some horses.

    

2. A horse of this color.
   • 1877, George Nevile, Horses and Riding (page 105)

     […] browns are the soberest, bays are the worst tempered, and chestnuts are the most foolish.

Translations

• Portuguese: alazão
• Russian: гнедо́й
• Spanish: alazán

Translations

• Portuguese: alazão
• Spanish: alazán, alazana

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Bay

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Proper noun

1. A region in Somalia.

Proper noun

1. (informal) The San Francisco Bay Area metropolitan area in California
2. (informal) San Francisco Bay.

Translations

• Spanish: La Bahía

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