bays

Noun (1)

bay (plural bays)

1. A body of water (especially the sea) contained by a concave shoreline.
   • This hotel has a great view across the bay.

   Synonyms:

   gulf

2. A bank or dam to keep back water.

Noun (2)

bay (countable and uncountable, plural bays)

1. (countable) A tree or shrub of species Laurus nobilis (family Lauraceae), having dark green leaves and berries.

   Synonyms:

   bay laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, bay tree

2. (uncountable) Bay leaf, the leaf of this or certain other species of tree or shrub, used as a herb.
3. (uncountable) Mahogany of species Swietenia macrophylla obtained from Campeche in Mexico.
4. (archaic, in plural) The leaves of this shrub, woven into a garland used to reward a champion or victor; hence, fame, victory.
   • both you here with many a cursed oth, / Sweare she is yours, and stirre vp bloudie frayes, / To win a willow bough, whilest other weares the bayes.1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   laurels

See all 27 meanings of bay