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Ray vs Jay - What's the difference?

ray | jay |

As proper nouns the difference between ray and jay

is that ray is from a (etyl) nickname meaning a king or a roe while jay is a nickname for james, jason, or for any male name beginning with a "j"; also used as a formal given name.

ray

English

Etymology 1

Via (etyl), from (etyl) rai, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A beam of light or radiation.
    • I saw a ray of light through the clouds.
  • (zoology) A rib-like reinforcement of bone or cartilage in a fish's fin.
  • (zoology) One of the spheromeres of a radiate, especially one of the arms of a starfish or an ophiuran.
  • (botany) A radiating part of a flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, such as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius.
  • (obsolete) Sight; perception; vision; from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • All eyes direct their rays / On him, and crowds turn coxcombs as they gaze.
  • (mathematics) A line extending indefinitely in one direction from a point.
  • (colloquial) A tiny amount.
    • Unfortunately he didn't have a ray of hope .
    Derived terms
    * death ray * gamma ray * manta ray * ray gun * stingray * X-ray

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To emit something as if in rays.
  • To radiate as if in rays
    • (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) (m), from (etyl) (m).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A marine fish with a flat body, large wing-like fins, and a whip-like tail.

    • Etymology 3

    Shortened from array.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To arrange.
  • (obsolete) To stain or soil; to defile.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , VI.4:
    • From his soft eyes the teares he wypt away, / And form his face the filth that did it ray .

    Etymology 4

    From its sound, by analogy with the letters chay, jay, gay, kay, which it resembles graphically.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The name of the letter ?/?, one of two which represent the r sound in Pitman shorthand.
    • Related terms
    * ar, in Latin and the name of the other Pitman r

    Etymology 5

    Noun

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Array; order; arrangement; dress.
  • * Spenser
    • And spoiling all her gears and goodly ray .

    Etymology 6

    Alternative forms.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (music)

    • Anagrams

    * English terms with multiple etymologies ----

    jay

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) jay, from (etyl) jai . More at (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any one of the numerous species of birds belonging to several genera within the family Corvidae, including Garrulus'', ''Cyanocitta , allied to the crows, but smaller, more graceful in form, often handsomely colored, usually having a crest, and often noisy.
  • Other birds of similar appearance and behavior.
  • (archaic) A dull or ignorant person.
  • (slang) A marijuana cigarette; a joint.
  • * 2009 , (Caitlin Moran), The Times , 23 Mar 2009:
    • Although sympathetic, my main reaction was to think: “Some people can handle it, and some people can’t,” and then smugly light up a big fat jay .
    Synonyms
    * (bird) Jenny jay, jay pie, k, kae (UK); bluejay, whisky jack (US)
    Hyponyms
    * (bird) Old World jay, gray jay, American jay
    See also
    * (projectlink) * (Corvidae)
    Derived terms
    * blue jay, bluejay * Canada jay * California jay * Florida jay * green jay * jay thrush * jaywalker

    Etymology 2

    Respelling of the letter .

    Noun

    (en noun)
    • See also
    *
    Derived terms
    * deejay * jaycee

    References

    *