also 4–7 baye, baie. [a. OF. baie (= Pr. baga):—L. bāca berry.
In OE. begbeam occurs in the OE. Gospels, and in a glossary of the 11th c. (Wülcker /450) as a rendering of mōrārius; the glossarist adds that mōra is a name for ‘berries’ generally, whence beg appears to be = berry. In the 11th c. it might perhaps already be adopted from Fr.; but the Corpus Glossary of the 8th c. (Wülcker /8) has also ‘baccinia (= vaccinia) beger’ which suggests that this (elsewhere begir) might be an archaic plural of an original -is, -os stem, and that beg was a native word. Its ME. repr. would be bey, bay; but the extant bay appears to be from French.]
† 1. A berry, a small fruit, esp. used of that of the laurel or bay-tree: see 2. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xlviii. The frute of lauri tre ben clepid baies.
1483. Cath. Angl., 17. Bay; bacca, est fructus lauri & oliue.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 452. The Baies or berries that it [the roiall Lawrel] beareth are nothing sharp biting … in tast.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Countr. Farm, 290. The bayes, or berries of myrtle-tree.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 245. Drunk with the Oile of Bayes in black Wine.
1866. Treas. Bot., 664. From the fruit is expressed a butter-like substance known as oil of Bays.
† b. A small ball, a globule. Obs. rare.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., II. 198. Take a bay of gootes dounge, And with a nal … make it holowe.
2. Short for Bay-tree or Bay Laurel, English name of the Laurus nobilis (called also Sweet Bay), a fine tree, with deep-green leaves and a profusion of dark-purple berries; also applied to other laurels (e.g., the Red Bay of S. America), and in America to Magnolia glauca (White Bay).
a. 1530. Palsgr., 914/3. The bay tre, laurier.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. xxxvii. 35. I my self haue sene the vngodly … florishinge like a grene baye tre.
1684. I. Mather, Remark. Provid., iv. 93. Philosophers told him the lightning could not hurt the bay-tree.
1866. Treas. Bot., 664/1. The Bay Laurel is a native of the south of Europe.
b. 1557. Tottell’s Misc. (Arb.), 264. When other frutes and flowers decay, The bay yet growes full grene.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xix. 262. The true Bay is known by its lance-shaped, veiny evergreen leaves.
1855. Kingsley, Heroes, II. iv. Slopes of oak … arbutus, and fragrant bay.
c. (Cf. BAY sb.2 4.)
3. Usually in pl. Leaves or sprigs of this tree, esp. as woven into a wreath or garland to reward a conqueror or poet; hence fig. the fame and repute attained by these.
1564. Haward, Eutropius, VII. 75. When he had subdued the Sarmatianes, he ware but a garland of baies only.
c. 1590. Greene, Fr. Bacon, iv. 64. A poet’s garland made of bays.
1647. Churchw. Acc. St. Margaret’s Westm. (Nichols, 1797), 53. Rosemarie and baies, that was stuck about the Church at Christmas.
1656. Cowley, Misc. (1669), 8. The gain of Civil wars will not allow Bay to the Conquerors Brow.
1730. Thomson, Autumn, 666. For virtuous Young and thee they twine the bay.
a. 1764. Lloyd, Author’s Apol., Poet. Wks. 1774, I. 7. I seek to blast no scholar’s bays.
4. Comb. and Attrib.: a. attrib., as bay-bow (= bough), -branch, -leaf, -tree (see 2 b), -wood; b. instrumental and similative, as bay-crowned, -leaved. Also bay-cherry, the Cherry-laurel (Cerasus Laurocerasus); bay-rum, an aromatic liquid, used by perfumers, obtained by distilling rum in which bay-leaves have been steeped.
1607. Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr., I. iii. 157. They doe not set lights and *bay bowes at their dores.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., April, 104. Bene they not *Bay branches, which they doe beare?
1665–76. Ray, Flora, 14. The *Bay-Cherry is a stately evergreen tree.
1638–48. G. Daniel, Eclog., iv. Song 3. Wouldst thow still *Bay-crowned Sitt?
1636. Healey, Theophrast., 59. Bearing a *bay leafe in his mouth.
1855. Browning, Protus, Poet. Wks. I. 297. Half-emperors and quarter-emperors, Each with his *bay-leaf fillet.
1883. Harper’s Mag., Jan., 199. Pepper-woods, whose leaves smell of *bay-rum.
