Word
cay
US/ˈkeɪ/
UK/kˈeɪ/
Definition
n. a small island made of sand and coral. You usually find these in the Caribbean or the Bahamas.
n. a small, low island formed from sand and coral debris. Primarily found in the Caribbean and the Bahamas; often used in the context of the Florida Keys.
Examples
“The boat anchored near a small cay in the ocean.”
“During our trip to the Bahamas, we spent the afternoon swimming around a tiny cay covered in palm trees.”
“The archipelago consists of numerous cays that rise barely above sea level, serving as vital nesting grounds for various seabird species and providing a unique habitat for local flora.”
Examples
simple
“The boat anchored near a small cay in the ocean.”
contextual
“During our trip to the Bahamas, we spent the afternoon swimming around a tiny cay covered in palm trees.”
complex
“The archipelago consists of numerous cays that rise barely above sea level, serving as vital nesting grounds for various seabird species and providing a unique habitat for local flora.”
Etymology
] From Spanish cayo, from Taíno.
See quay.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cay