- Architecture. A part of a building marked off by vertical elements, such as columns or pilasters: an arcade divided into ten bays.
- Architecture.
- A bay window.
- An opening or recess in a wall.
- A section or compartment, as in a service station, barn, or aircraft, that is set off for a specific purpose: a cargo bay; an engine bay.
- A sickbay.
- Computer Science. A drive bay.
[Middle English, from Old French baee, an opening, from baer, to gape, from Vulgar Latin *badāre.]
bay3 (bā)

adj.
Reddish-brown: a bay colt.
n.- A reddish brown.
- A reddish-brown animal, especially a horse having a black mane and tail.
[Middle English, from Old French bai, from Latin badius.]
bay4 (bā)

n.
- A deep, prolonged bark, such as the sound made by hounds.
- The position of one cornered by pursuers and forced to turn and fight at close quarters: The hunters brought their quarry to bay.
- The position of having been checked or held at a distance: “He has seen the nuclear threat held at bay for 40 years” (Earl W. Foell).
v., bayed, bay·ing, bays. v.intr.
To utter a deep, prolonged bark.
v.tr.- To pursue or challenge with barking: “I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon” (Shakespeare).
- To express by barking or howling: a mob baying its fury.
- To bring to bay: “too big for the dogs which tried to bay it” (William Faulkner).
[Middle English, from abai, cornering a hunted animal, from Old French, from abaiier, to bark, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *abbaiāre : Latin ad-, ad- + Vulgar Latin *badāre, to gape, yawn. V., from Middle English baien, to bark, from abaien, from Old French abaiier.]
bay5 (bā)

n.
- See laurel (sense 1).
- Any of certain other trees or shrubs with aromatic foliage, such as the California laurel.
- A crown or wreath made especially of the leaves and branches of the laurel and given as a sign of honor or victory.
- Honor; renown. Often used in the plural.
[Middle English, from Old French baie, berry, from Latin bāca.]



