bay

plural bays

1. geographyA body of water (especially the sea) contained by a concave shoreline.

   This hotel has a great view across the bay.

   1 more example

   'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.

   1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms: gulf

2. A bank or dam to keep back water.

plural bays

1. countableA tree or shrub of species Laurus nobilis (family Lauraceae), having dark green leaves and berries.

   Synonyms: bay laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, bay tree

2. uncountableBay leaf, the leaf of this or certain other species of tree or shrub, used as a herb.
3. uncountableMahogany of species Swietenia macrophylla obtained from Campeche in Mexico.
4. archaiccountablein pluraluncountableThe leaves of this shrub, woven into a garland used to reward a champion or victor; hence, fame, victory.

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

   1771, John Trumbull, On the Vanity of Youthful Expectations

   1 more example

   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.

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

   Synonyms: laurels

5. UScountabledialectaluncountableA tract covered with bay trees.
6. countableobsoleteuncountableA berry.

plural bays

1. An opening in a wall, especially between two columns.
2. An internal recess; a compartment or area surrounded on three sides.

   Wrex: And Shepard--I like what you've done with the Normandy. Got tired of always hanging around the cargo bay before.

   2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-2

   1 more example

   A “moving platform” scheme[…]is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays.

   2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly)

3. A display unit in a shop or store, especially a large metal one.

   end bay

   2 more examples

   gondola bay

   wall bay

4. A section of ceiling delineated by supports such as rafters or vaulting ribs.
5. nauticalEach of the spaces, port and starboard, between decks, forward of the bitts, in sailing warships.
6. rail transportA bay platform.

   There is a short bay at the west end of each platform, but neither is used for passenger trains.

   1946 May and June, G. A. Sekon, “L.B.S.C.R. West Coast Section—3”, in Railway Magazine, page 149

7. A bay window.
8. A room for editing video footage or physical film.

plural bays

1. countableuncountableThe excited howling of dogs when hunting or being attacked.

   The hunt is up, the morn is bright and grey, / The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green. / Uncouple here, and let us make a bay / And wake the Emperor and his lovely bride, / And rouse the Prince, and ring a hunter's peal, / That all the court may echo with the noise.

   c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, act 2, scene 2, lines 1–6

2. broadlycountableuncountableThe climactic confrontation between hunting-dogs and their prey.
3. figurativelyuncountableA state of being obliged to face an antagonist or a difficulty, when escape has become impossible.

   Embolden'd by despair, he stood at bay.

   1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   1 more example

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

   1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball, →OCLC

present singular third person bays · participle present baying · participle past bayed · past bayed

1. intransitiveTo howl.

   The hounds at nearer distance hoarsely bay'd.

   1700, [John] Dryden, “Theodore and Honoria, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   2 more examples

   For at the last shall the thunder, fleeing to escape from the doom of the gods, roar horribly among the Worlds; and Time, the hound of the gods, shall bay hungrily at his masters because he is lean with age.

   1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, page 92

   The scene was rocking, all were digging the sounds Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds The coffin-bangers were about to arrive With their vocal group, The Crypt-Kicker Five.

   1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers

2. transitiveTo bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay.

   to bay the bear

   1 more example

   Spit, and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set / The dogs o'th' street to bay me

   a. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, act 5, scene 5, lines 222–223

3. transitiveTo pursue noisily, like a pack of hounds.

comparative bayer · comparative more bay · superlative bayest · superlative most bay

1. especiallyOf a reddish-brown colour with a black mane and tail.

   Mr. Free also owned restaurants and bred horses. His bay gelding, Packett's Landing, won almost $800,000 in his five-year career in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

   2003 January 8, Stuart Lavietes, “F. William Free, 74, Ad Man Behind 'Fly Me'”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

plural bays

1. countableuncountableA brown colour/color of the coat of some horses.
2. countableuncountableA horse of this color.

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

   1877, George Nevile, Horses and Riding, page 105

1. A region of Somalia.

1. abbreviationellipsisinformalEllipsis of San Francisco Bay Area (metropolitan area in California): a geographic region of California, United States.
2. abbreviationellipsisinformalEllipsis of San Francisco Bay: a bay of the Pacific Ocean in California, United States.

plural Bays

1. A surname