Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small, low island composed largely of coral or sand.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as key. [Rare.]

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun See key, a ledge.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small, low island largely made of sand or coral.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration (influenced by quay) of Spanish cayo, probably from Taíno.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Arawakan via Spanish cayo.

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Examples

  • La regista è Cayetana Vidal alias cay presso Furia Films.

    No Fat Clips!!! : Project 155: My ojo izquierdo 2007

  • The coral cay, which is surrounded by a delicate coral reef, is near the seabird and turtle nesting sanctuary of North West Island, where clumps of oil about five metres apart stained about one kilometre of beach.

    AustralianIT.com.au | Top Stories 2010

  • The coral cay, which is surrounded by a delicate coral reef, is near the seabird and turtle nesting sanctuary of North West Island, where clumps of oil about five metres apart stained about one kilometre of beach.

    AustralianIT.com.au | Top Stories 2010

  • His thoughts were interupted by the pilot pointing to a tiny island … really a cay … off the coast of Nicaragua and indicating that the cay was my destination.

    James Brausch 2009

  • "But we are talking about oil reaching a coral cay which is globally important for seabird breeding and the nesting of green and loggerhead turtles.

    Raw Story 2010

  • "But we are talking about oil reaching a coral cay which is globally important for seabird breeding and the nesting of green and loggerhead turtles.

    Latest News - Yahoo!7 News 2010

  • "But we are talking about oil reaching a coral cay which is globally important for seabird breeding and the nesting of green and loggerhead turtles.

    Bangkokpost.com : Breaking News 2010

  • "But we are talking about oil reaching a coral cay which is globally important for seabird breeding and the nesting of green and loggerhead turtles.

    Latest News - Yahoo!7 News 2010

  • "But we are talking about oil reaching a coral cay which is globally important for seabird breeding and the nesting of green and loggerhead turtles.

    nst online 2010

  • "But we are talking about oil reaching a coral cay which is globally important for seabird breeding and the nesting of green and loggerhead turtles.

    Raw Story 2010

Comments

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  • Pronounced either "kay" or "key"

    July 2, 2007

  • pronounciation is quay with this word

    November 7, 2009