: a low island or reef of sand or coral

Examples of cay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Visitors here can also take a catamaran to Cayo Blanco, a small cay off the coast. Brittany Anas, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Located just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, Bimini is a collection of cays and islands in the Bahamas that offer a mix of adventure and rest. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Jan. 2024 The swimming pigs of the Exumas are a visitor favorite, and travelers can find secluded beaches and uninhabited cays during boating excursions. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 6 Dec. 2023 With a captain and boat on call for every villa, guests often choose to explore or picnic at secluded beaches on neighboring islands and cays like Cayos Zapatillas, part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park. John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023 Rain tends to be heaviest in southern Belize and the country’s jungle areas, and the lightest in northern Belize and on the many Belizean cays or islands. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2023 The archipelago of eight major islands and dozens of small, uninhabited cays comes surrounded by some of the clearest and bluest waters on earth, which lap against the soft-sand shores. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2023 The resort is an ideal launching point for exploring Abaco's natural wonders, including vibrant coral reefs and serene cays. 6 Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands lets you into a world of natural wonder. James Barrett, Redbook, 17 Aug. 2023 Catamaran excursions or sunset cocktail cruises to tiny, white-sand cays like Scrub Island or Sandy Island are among top things to do in the destination. Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish cayo — more at key

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cay was in 1707

Dictionary Entries Near cay

Cite this Entry

“Cay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cay. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on cay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!