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Bay vs Strait - What's the difference?

bay | strait |

As adverbs the difference between bay and strait

is that bay is brazenly while strait is (obsolete) strictly; rigorously.

As an adjective strait is

(archaic) narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.

As a noun strait is

(geography) a narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.

As a verb strait is

(obsolete) to put to difficulties.

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

    * ----

    strait

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (archaic) Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
  • * Emerson
    • too strait and low our cottage doors
  • * 1866 , , Aholibah , lines 53-55
    • Sweet oil was poured out on thy head
    And ran down like cool rain between
    The strait close locks it melted in.
  • * 1900 , , To One in Bedlam , lines 3-5
    • Those scentless wisps of straw, that miserably line
    His strait , caged universe, whereat the dull world stares,
    Pedant and pitiful.
  • (archaic) Righteous, strict.
    • to follow the strait and narrow
  • * 1597 , , IV. iii. 79:
    • some certain edicts and some strait decrees
  • * Bible, Acts xxvi. 5 (Rev. Ver.)
    • the straitest sect of our religion
  • (obsolete) Tight; close; tight-fitting.
  • * 1613 , , III. vi. 86:
    • Is not this piece too strait ? / No, no, 'tis well.
  • (obsolete) Close; intimate; near; familiar.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • a strait degree of favour
  • (obsolete) Difficult; distressful; straited.
  • * Secker
    • to make your strait' circumstances yet ' straiter
  • (obsolete) Parsimonious; niggardly; mean.
  • * 1596 , , V. vii. 42:
    • I beg cold comfort, and you are so strait , / And so ingrateful, you deny me that.

    Usage notes

    The adjective is often confused with straight.

    Derived terms

    * straitjacket * strait-laced

    Noun

    (en noun) (wikipedia strait)
  • (geography) A narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
    • The Strait of Gibraltar
  • * De Foe
    • We steered directly through a large outlet which they call a strait , though it be fifteen miles broad.
  • A narrow pass or passage.
  • * Spenser
    • He brought him through a darksome narrow strait / To a broad gate all built of beaten gold.
  • * 1602 , , III. iii. 154:
    • For honour travels in a strait so narrow / Where one but goes abreast.
  • A neck of land; an isthmus.
  • * Tennyson
    • a dark strait of barren land
  • A difficult position (often used in plural).
    • to be in dire straits
  • * South
    • Let no man, who owns a Providence, grow desperate under any calamity or strait whatsoever.
  • * Broome
    • Ulysses made use of the pretense of natural infirmity to conceal the straits he was in at that time in his thoughts.

    Derived terms

    * dire straits

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To put to difficulties.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (obsolete) Strictly; rigorously.
  • * 1593 , , III. ii. 20:
    • Proceed no straiter 'gainst our uncle Gloucester

    Anagrams

    *