quay
/kiː/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms quays quaying quayed quayer quayest cay
- noun (nautical) A stone or concrete structure on navigable water used for loading and unloading vessels; a wharf. “moor up in the quay”
- verb To land or tie up at a quay or similar structure, especially used in the phrase "quay up".
- proper noun A surname.
Etymology
The current spelling replaced the spelling key in the 1690s to emulate the spelling but (at least originally) not the pronunciation of the equivalent modern French quai. From Middle English kay, key, kaye, keye, from Old French kay, cail, from Gaulish *kagyum, cagiíun (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“field”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰyóm (“enclosure”). Doublet of hedge and hey (“choreographic figure”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A mole, bank, or wharf, formed toward the sea, or at the side of a harbor, river, or other navigable water, for convenience in loading and unloading vessels. [Written also key.]
- verb To furnish with quays.
Etymology [F. quai. See Key quay.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “quay”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details