bay
bay — noun
1. an area of sea or large lake that reaches inward into the land, with land curvin
an area of sea or large lake that reaches inward into the land, with land curving around it on most sides — for example, San Francisco Bay or the Bay of Bengal.
Sailboats drifted across the calm bay just south of Monterey.
across the bay + place name
Hana and his daughter swam in the warm bay every morning.
swim in the bay
The fishing village sits at the mouth of a deep, sheltered bay.
From the cliff, Aiko watched dolphins jump in Hanauma Bay.
A storm pushed huge waves into the narrow bay overnight.
- headland
land sticking out into the sea, the opposite shape
用法筆記
Often appears in proper-noun place names (Tokyo Bay, Hudson Bay, Bay of Biscay). With 'the bay', speakers usually refer to a specific local one — e.g. residents of San Francisco say 'the Bay' to mean San Francisco Bay.
常見錯誤
2. a section of a building, vehicle, or piece of equipment that is set apart for on
a section of a building, vehicle, or piece of equipment that is set apart for one specific use — for example, a parking bay, a loading bay at a warehouse, or a drive bay inside a computer.
Viraj reversed his van into the loading bay behind the supermarket.
loading bay (warehouse use)
Every parking bay in the underground garage was already taken.
parking bay
Mechanics rolled the broken car into the second service bay.
The new tower computer has four empty bays for extra hard drives.
Nurses wheeled the patient into bay three of the emergency ward.
- compartment
more general; any closed-off section
- stall
often for parking or animals; smaller scale
- alcove
a small recess inside a room, not for vehicles
用法筆記
Almost always appears with a modifier that names the purpose: parking bay, loading bay, service bay, sick bay, drive bay, cargo bay. The bare word 'bay' rarely conveys this sense without context.
常見錯誤
3. a small Mediterranean tree, also called the laurel, whose dark green leaves keep
a small Mediterranean tree, also called the laurel, whose dark green leaves keep their colour all year and are dried for use as a kitchen herb in soups and stews.
Grandma grew a small bay in a clay pot beside the kitchen door.
grow a bay (the tree itself)
Add two leaves of bay to the soup and let it simmer for an hour.
leaves of bay (cooking)
The old courtyard was shaded by a row of glossy bays.
In ancient Greece, winners at the games wore crowns made of bay.
Chef Mei rubbed dried bay between her fingers to release the smell.
用法筆記
In modern cooking, speakers usually say 'bay leaf' or 'bay leaves'; the bare word 'bay' for the leaf is more literary or compressed (recipe shorthand). The tree is also called 'bay laurel' or 'sweet bay' in horticulture.
常見錯誤
4. a horse with a coat of warm reddish-brown over most of its body, while the mane,
a horse with a coat of warm reddish-brown over most of its body, while the mane, tail, and lower legs stay black.
Wairimu climbed onto the strong young bay and rode toward the river.
ride a bay (count noun)
Three bays from the Donovan stables won prizes at the county fair.
plural: bays from a stable
The trainer brushed the bay's shining red coat until it gleamed.
An old bay with a white star on its forehead pulled the small cart.
- chestnut
reddish horse but with matching mane and tail (no black points)
用法筆記
A count noun referring to the whole horse, distinct from sense 5's color adjective. Riders and breeders often add a modifier for the exact shade: dark bay, blood bay, light bay.
常見錯誤
5. a long, low howling sound made by hounds, especially while they are tracking or
a long, low howling sound made by hounds, especially while they are tracking or chasing prey on a hunt.
The bay of the foxhounds carried clearly across the frosty fields.
the bay of [hounds] carrying across [place]
Viraj heard the deep bay of a single hound far below the ridge.
deep bay of a hound
Her grandfather loved the wild bay of his old hunting dogs.
A lonely bay rose from the woods just before midnight.
- howl
longer wolf-like cry, often from one animal alone
- yelp
a short, high-pitched cry, the opposite shape of a bay
用法筆記
Mostly a literary or hunting-context noun, often paired with 'of [hound/dogs/wolves]'. Distinguish from sense 1 (geography) and from a plain 'bark', which is shorter and sharper rather than long and drawn-out.
常見錯誤
bay — verb
1. (of a hound or wolf) to give long, low howls again and again, usually while chas
(of a hound or wolf) to give long, low howls again and again, usually while chasing prey or calling to others in the pack.
The hounds bayed loudly as they chased the fox through the woods.
[hounds] + bay + as-clause (during chase)
All night, wolves bayed at the bright winter moon above the valley.
bay at + moon (classic collocation)
Old Rusty bayed from the porch whenever a stranger came up the path.
Hunting dogs began to bay the moment they picked up the deer's scent.
- whimper
a small, sad sound — opposite in volume and energy
文法句型
bay at + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used of hounds, hunting dogs, or wolves — not pet dogs in everyday situations. Frequent collocation: 'bay at the moon', often used figuratively to suggest pointless protest.
常見錯誤
bay — adjective
1. (of a horse) having a warm reddish-brown coat together with a black mane, black
(of a horse) having a warm reddish-brown coat together with a black mane, black tail, and black lower legs.
Wairimu rode her bay mare along the dusty trail at sunrise.
bay + mare (before noun)
A tall bay stallion stood quietly outside the wooden stable.
bay + stallion
The young bay pony nuzzled the children at the petting farm.
Three bay horses pulled the carriage slowly through the village.
- chestnut
also reddish, but the mane and tail match the body, not black
文法句型
bay + horse/mare/stallion
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively before a horse-related noun (mare, stallion, gelding, pony, horses). Distinguish from the noun sense in entry noun/4: 'a bay' = the horse itself; 'bay horse' = the colour describing the horse.