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Cape vs Bay - What's the difference?

cape | bay |

In geography terms the difference between cape and bay

is that cape is a piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland while bay is a body of water (especially the sea) more or less three-quarters surrounded by land.

In nautical terms the difference between cape and bay

is that cape is to head or point; to keep a course while bay is each of the spaces, port and starboard, between decks, forward of the bitts, in sailing warships.

In obsolete terms the difference between cape and bay

is that cape is to gape while bay is a berry.

As an adjective bay is

of a reddish-brown colour (especially of horses).

cape

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) cap, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (geography) A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.
    • Synonyms
    * chersonese * peninsula * point

    Etymology 2

    (wikipedia cape) (etyl) capa, from .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sleeveless garment or part of a garment, hanging from the neck over the back, arms, and shoulders, but not reaching below the hips.
  • *
    • Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. […]  Frills, ruffles, flounces, lace, complicated seams and gores: not only did they sweep the ground and have to be held up in one hand elegantly as you walked along, but they had little capes or coats or feather boas.
    See also
    * cloak

    Verb

    (cap)
  • (nautical) To head or point; to keep a course.
    • The ship capes southwest by south.
  • (obsolete) To gape.
    • (Chaucer)
  • To skin an animal, particularly a deer.

    • Anagrams

    * ----

    bay

    English

    (wikipedia bay)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) baye, baie, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A berry.
  • , a shrub of the family Lauraceae , having dark green leaves and berries.
  • The leaves of this shrub, woven into a garland used to reward a champion or victor; hence, fame, victory.
  • * 1596 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , IV.i:
    • 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 .
  • The leaf of this or certain other species of shrub, used as a herb.
  • * Trumbull
    • The patriot's honours and the poet's bays .
  • (US, dialect) A tract covered with bay trees.
  • A kind of mahogany obtained from (Campeche) in Mexico.
    • Synonyms
    * bay laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel, sweet bay, true laurel
    Derived terms
    * bayberry * bay laurel * bay leaf * bay rum * bay rum tree * bay tree * red bay * sweet bay

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) baie, from baia.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (geography) A body of water (especially the sea) more or less three-quarters surrounded by land.
  • *
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage='Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.}}
  • A bank or dam to keep back water.
    • Synonyms
    * (body of water) gulf
    Derived terms
    * California bay

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) baie, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An opening in a wall, especially between two columns.
  • An internal recess; a compartment or area surrounded on three sides.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838
    • , page=13 (Technology Quarterly), magazine=(The Economist) , title= Ideas coming down the track , passage=A “moving platform” scheme
  • The distance between two supports in a vault or building with a pitched roof.
  • (nautical) Each of the spaces, port and starboard, between decks, forward of the bitts, in sailing warships.
  • (rail transport) A bay platform.
  • Shortened form of bay window.
    • Derived terms
    * bay platform * bay window * bomb bay * buggy bay * loading bay

    Etymology 4

    From (etyl) bay, combined with aphesized form of abay; verbal form (etyl) baier, abaier.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The excited howling of dogs when hunting or being attacked.
  • (by extension) The climactic confrontation between hunting-dogs and their prey.
  • (figuratively) A state of being obliged to face an antagonist or a difficulty, when escape has become impossible.
  • * (rfdate) (Dryden)
    • Embolden'd by despair, he stood at bay .
  • * (rfdate) I. Taylor
    • The most terrible evils are just kept at bay by incessant efforts.
    Derived terms
    * at bay

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To howl.
  • * (rfdate) (Dryden)
    • The hounds at nearer distance hoarsely bayed .
  • To bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay.
    • to bay the bear
    (Shakespeare)
  • To pursue noisily, like a pack of hounds.
    • Derived terms
    * bay at the moon

    Etymology 5

    From (etyl) baie, from (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of a reddish-brown colour (especially of horses).
    • Derived terms
    * bay cat * bay lynx

    Noun

    (-)
  • A brown colour/color of the coat of some horses.
  • A horse of this color.
    • Quotations
    * (English Citations of "bay")

    See also

    * abeyance * badinage * baize * daphne * voe * * *

    Anagrams

    * ----