Bay

Bay is a broad inlet of a sea, such as Bay of Bengal which is an inlet of the Indian Ocean. A major characteristic of a bay is that the land around this water body curves inward. It is surrounded by land on three sides.

An indentation or recess of land in a range of hills or mountains is also called a bay. Similarly, any recessed or enclosed area can be referred to as a bay. A bay window is sometimes referred to as bay in short, which is built to project outward from an outside wall. The space thus created by a window-line projecting outward from a wall is called a by. In church architecture, especially in the nave, bay is the section of wall between two buttresses or columns. In a vehicle, aircraft, or ship, a compartment with a particular function is referred to as a bay, such as an engine bay. An area marked off for a specified purpose can also be called a bay, such as a loading bay. The cabinet of a computer, or a space in it, is also referred to as a bay, if a hardware is installed in it, such as a CD bay.

Bay is also the short form of bay tree, bay laurel, or sweet bay. It is an evergreen shrub of the laurel family. This Mediterranean shrub bears purple berries. Its deep green leaves were formerly used as triumphal crowns for victors. Its leaves are aromatic, and therefore, used in cooking. The botanical name of this shrub is Laurus nobilis, and it belongs to the family Lauraceae.

Bay is also a short form of bayberry, a similarly aromatic North American shrub or tree. It is used to make bay rum.

A bay horse is called a bay in short. It has brown colour with black points.

Bay is also the sound of baying of dogs, jackal, wolves, hounds etc. The term is applied especially for baying of hounds in close pursuit of their quarry.