What is bay? How to use in English

Definition & pronunciation of bay

baynoun

vịnh

/beɪ/

Definition & pronunciation of <b>bay</b>

Where does the word bay come from?

The word "bay" has a fascinating etymology. It comes from the Old English word "beag," which means "bay" or "inlet." This word is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*bugiz," and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bheg-," which meant "to bend" or "to curve." This root also gave rise to other words such as "bend," "bough," and "bow." In Middle English (circa 1100-1500), the word "bay" referred specifically to a body of water that is partially enclosed by land, such as a bay in a larger body of water like an ocean or a lake. Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include other types of bays, such as a bay window or a bay leaf. Today, the word "bay" is used to describe a variety of curved or bay-like shapes in both the natural and built environments.

Vocabulary summary bay

typeadjective

meaningpink

examplea bay horse

typenoun

meaningpink horse

examplea bay horse

Example of vocabulary baynamespace

meaning

a part of the sea, or of a large lake, partly surrounded by a wide curve of the land

  • the Bay of Bengal
  • Hudson Bay
  • a magnificent view across the bay
  • apartments overlooking the bay
meaning

a marked section of ground either inside or outside a building, for example for a vehicle to park in, for storing things, etc.

  • a parking/loading bay
  • Put the equipment in No 3 bay.
meaning

a curved area of a room or building that sticks out from the rest of the building

meaning

a horse of a dark brown colour

  • He was riding a big bay.
meaning

a deep noise, especially the noise made by dogs when hunting

meaning

a small tree with dark green leaves with a sweet smell that are used in cooking

meaning

the leaves of the bay tree, used in cooking as a herb

Idioms of vocabulary bay

at bay
when an animal that is being hunted is at bay, it must turn and face the dogs and hunters because it is impossible to escape from them
    hold/keep somebody/something at bay
    to prevent an enemy from coming close or a problem from having a bad effect
    • I'm trying to keep my creditors at bay.
    • Charlotte bit her lip to hold the tears at bay.

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