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

Verb the mob was baying for revenge the lonesome beagle bayed whenever someone walked by
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
Lions bay up in high places, and the hounds follow. Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 1 Feb. 2024 His small, high-browed face peers down calmly at the professors, who have launched into an unearthly cacophony of yapping, baying, and squealing 40 feet below. Peter Radetsky, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Most orchestras that perform the piece choose to use recordings of dogs barking, but conductor Adam Fischer decided to showcase live expert baying in the piece. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023 The men yelled, growled and bayed until neighborhood dogs started barking; voices rose to a frenzied pitch, then subsided. Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2023 But if Biden is reelected, the Republican House will be baying for his blood. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2023 The dogs are crossbred from sociable huskies and hardier Greenland dogs and are baying and pawing for attention. Taymour Soomro Scott Conarroe, New York Times, 10 May 2023 The huge screen is augmented with a 40-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround sound system, which has nearly 2,000W of audio power – enough to completely obscure any number of baying peasants outside. James Morris, Forbes, 6 May 2023 There are presently calls on Russian social media baying for an even more vicious response than Russia’s already continual strategic bombing of Ukrainian cities. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 3 May 2023
Noun
Located in the charming fishing town of San Sebastian, this picturesque bay is framed by rolling hills and an uninhabited island people can also visit. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Enjoy scenic east-facing views and glimpses of the picturesque bay in the distance. Monica Lander, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Visiting Kinmen as a tourist today, Chiang recalls how his father did his military service there decades before, observing the Beishan Broadcasting Wall, a tower of speakers that blasted propaganda across the bay. Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 That Hemi fills the engine bay nicely, with a high-flow aluminum radiator and a cold-air intake. Michael Van Runkle, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Like the rest of the hotel, they’re styled by celebrated French designer Sybille de Margerie and feature two giant upstairs master bedrooms with walk-in showers and terraces overlooking the private pool and bay. Nicolas Stecher, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024 At this point the best odds are east of the bay, but that doesn’t mean totally dry here. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 The milestone action clears the way for consideration by the California Coastal Commission, which has the final say on whether the plan becomes the legal blueprint for the bay. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 The hotel can arrange a private boat tour of the bay, stopping at nearby villages like Perast as well as Our Lady of the Rocks, a 15th-century church set on a small island in the middle of the bay. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2024

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 19 Mar. 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"

More from Merriam-Webster on bay

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!