I. ˈbā adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French bai, from Latin badius; akin to Old Irish buide yellow
: reddish brown : chestnut-colored — usually used of a horse
a bay mare
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an animal of a bay color ; specifically : a horse having a reddish brown body color with mane, tail, and points black
a dashing pair of bays
— compare chestnut
2. : a moderate brown that is deeper and slightly redder than auburn, redder, stronger, and slightly darker than chestnut brown, lighter, stronger, and very slightly redder than tobacco, and darker and slightly yellower and less strong than toast brown — called also Malabar, mummy brown, Trotteur tan
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, weir, millrace
: a bank to keep back water : dam
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: dam — usually used with up or back
bay water up
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English baye, from Middle French baie, from Latin baca, probably of non-Indo-European origin; akin to the source of Greek Bakchos Bacchus, a name of Dionysus, god of fruits including especially the grape
1. obsolete : a berry especially of the laurel
2.
a. : laurel 1a
b. : any of several shrubs or trees especially of the genera Magnolia, Myrica, and Gordonia resembling the laurel
3.
a. : a garland or crown especially of laurel given as a prize for victory or excellence — often used in plural
b. : honor , fame , renown — usually used in plural
the patriot's honors and the poet's bays — John Trumbull
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French baée open part, opening, from Old French baee, from feminine of baé, past participle of baer to be open, gape — more at abeyance
1. : a principal compartment of the walls, roof, or other part of a building or of the whole building
in a Gothic cathedral the transverse arches and adjacent piers of the arcade divide the building into bays — Helen Gardner
2. : a main division of any structure: as
a. : a compartment in a barn
chaff packed into a whole bay of the barn — Adrian Bell
b. : bay window
c. : a straight section of trench between two adjacent traverses
d. : the length of bridge between center and center of adjacent pontoons in a pontoon bridge
e. : the forward part of a ship on each side between decks often used as a ship's hospital
f.
(1) : a longitudinal portion of an elongated structure (as a truss or wing) lying between two adjacent transverse members or walls (as uprights or ribs) of an airship
(2) : any of several compartments in the fuselage of an aircraft ; especially : bomb bay
3.
a. : a vertical support or group of such supports on which various pieces of electronic apparatus are mounted — used especially of radio and telephone equipment
b. : one of the units including a dipole and a reflector that comprise an antenna array
VII. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English baien, alteration of abaien, from Old French abaiier, of imitative origin
intransitive verb
1. of a dog : to bark (as at a thief or at the game that is pursued) especially with deep prolonged tones
the wakeful dogs did never cease to bay — Edmund Spenser
2. : to cry out loud and long : shout
the prosecutor bayed for a death penalty — Time
transitive verb
1. : to bark at : set upon with barking
the dogs ran mad and bayed the sky — Clinton Scollard
2. : to bring to bay : hold at bay
hounds jumping a fox … run it down and bay it — Hart Stilwell
3. : to pursue with barking
killed by the aid of dogs baying and driving him up a tree — C.R.Darwin
4. : to utter in deep prolonged tones
a deep voice bayed a question — Anne Green
VIII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English bay, abay, from Old French abai, from abaier, v.
1. : the position of one (as an animal) forced to face an antagonist
a handsome young huntsman facing a furious boar at bay — H.A.Overstreet
2. : the position of one checked (as in pursuit, growth, or development)
such infections can be kept at bay if a wound is kept clean — C.L.Boltz
3. : the barking of dogs ; especially : a deep prolonged barking of dogs closing in on their quarry
in full bay the hounds followed the trail
IX. noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English baye, from Middle French baie, perhaps alteration of baiée open part, opening, from Old French baiee, from baee
1.
a. : an inlet of the sea or other body of water usually smaller than a gulf but of the same general character
b. : a large tract of water around which the land forms a curve
c. : a recess or inlet between capes or headlands
2. : a small body of water set off from the main body: as
a. : a compartment containing water for a wheel
b. : the portion of a canal just outside the gates of a lock
3. : any of various terrestrial formations felt to resemble a bay of the sea: as
a. : a recess of plain within a curve in a range of hills
b. : an opening of prairie in the edge of a forest
c. : carolina bay
d. : a recess (as in the forepart of a shrubbery) for the display of specimen or accent plants
X. noun
( -s )
Etymology: back-formation from earlier bayse, from Middle French baies, plural — more at baize
obsolete : baize — usually used in plural