bay

Meanings

Noun

• A berry.
• Laurus nobilis, a tree or shrub of the family Lauraceae, having dark green leaves and berries.
• Bay leaf, the leaf of this or certain other species of tree or shrub, used as a herb.
• The leaves of this shrub, woven into a garland used to reward a champion or victor; hence, fame, victory.
• A tract covered with bay trees.
• A kind of mahogany obtained from Campeche in Mexico.
• A body of water (especially the sea) more-or-less three-quarters surrounded by land.
• A bank or dam to keep back water.
• An opening in a wall, especially between two columns.
• An internal recess; a compartment or area surrounded on three sides.
• The distance between two supports in a vault or building with a pitched roof.
• Each of the spaces, port and starboard, between decks, forward of the bitts, in sailing warships.
• A bay platform.
• A bay window.
• The excited howling of dogs when hunting or being attacked.
• The climactic confrontation between hunting-dogs and their prey.
• A state of being obliged to face an antagonist or a difficulty, when escape has become impossible.
• A brown colour/color of the coat of some horses.
• A horse of this color.

Verb

• To howl.
• To bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay.
• To pursue noisily, like a pack of hounds.

Adjective

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

Related

Similar words

• bay laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, bay tree
• laurels
• gulf

Origin

• From Middle English baye, baie, from Old English beġ ("berry"), as in beġbēam, conflated with Old French baie, from Latin bāca ("berry").
• From French baie, from Late Latin baia, probably ultimately from Iberian or Basque badia.
• From French baie, from Old French baé, masculine singular past participle of the verb baer, from Medieval Latin badō. More at bevel, badinage.
• From Old French bay, combined with aphesized form of abay; verbal form of baier, abaier.
• From French baie, from Latin badius ("reddish brown, chestnut").