at bay
Prepositional phrase
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Prepositional phrase
- (set phrase, idiomatic) Unable to come closer; at a distance.
- 1889, Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “Preface”, in Sylvie and Bruno, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., OCLC 156194182 ↗, page xv ↗:
- These two books—of sacred, and secular, passages for memory—will serve other good purposes besides merely occupying vacant hours: they will help to keep at bay many anxious thoughts, worrying thoughts, uncharitable thoughts, unholy thoughts.
- (set phrase, idiomatic) Cornered; unable to flee.
- 1855, Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, XXXI:
- The hills, like giants at a hunting, lay / Chin upon hand, to see the game at bay,— / "Now stab and end the creature - to the heft!"
- 2004, November 22, Valerie Elliott, “Two-dog plan to keep law at bay”, in The Times:
- Instead of mounted riders following a pack of hounds, it is envisaged that just two dogs will be used to locate a stag and hold it at bay.
- 1855, Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, XXXI:
- (at a distance) at a distance, at arm's length, away, back
- (cornered) cornered, trapped
- French: à distance
- Portuguese: à distância
- Spanish: a raya
- French: aux abois
This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.002