bay

The word “bay” means a body of water partly enclosed by a curve of the coastline. In plain terms, a curved stretch of coastline, a separate compartment or space, a cooking herb, or (as a verb) the loud howl of a hunting dog.

“Bay” is pronounced BAY (/ˈbeɪ̯/ in IPA).

Here is “bay” used in a sentence: “The fishing boats sheltered in the bay during the storm.”

Depending on how it is used, “bay” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.

The word “bay” comes from Late Latin. From Old French "baie," from Late Latin "baia," possibly from an Iberian or Basque word for an inlet of the sea.

“Bay” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Bay” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a body of water partly enclosed by a curve of the coastline.

Both are areas of sea partly enclosed by land, and the terms overlap. In general a gulf is larger and more deeply set into the coastline, often with a narrower mouth, while a bay is smaller and more open. The distinction is loose, though, and many names are historical rather than based on strict size.

A cove is a small, sheltered bay, usually rounded with a narrow entrance. A bay is larger and more open to the sea. In other words, a cove is a particular kind of small bay, so every cove is a bay, but a wide sweeping bay would not normally be called a cove.

A bay is a natural curve of coastline that partly encloses water. A harbour is any sheltered place, natural or built, where ships can anchor safely. A bay can act as a harbour, but the words differ in emphasis: a bay is defined by its shape, a harbour by its use as a haven for boats.

Famous examples include San Francisco Bay in the United States, the Bay of Bengal beside India, and Hudson Bay in Canada. Each is a stretch of sea reaching into the land within a curve of coastline. On a smaller scale, a gentle inward sweep of any beach can also be called a bay.