What does it mean to keep your feelings at bay?
(also hold something at bay) to control something and prevent it from causing you problems: She fought to keep her unhappiness at bay.
Is keep at bay an idiom?
keep (someone or something) at bay To keep someone or something at a distance or from reaching full potency, especially in order to prevent harm to oneself.
How do you use keep at bay in a sentence?
The phrase ‘keep something at bay’ means; that you try to stop a problematic situation from getting closer to you. Example in use: “That kid is very problematic; I am doing my best to keep him at bay.”
What does the term Bay mean?
1 : an inlet of the sea or other body of water usually smaller than a gulf. 2 : a small body of water set off from the main body. 3 : any of various terrestrial formations resembling a bay of the sea a bay of prairie.
Where does the expression at bay come from?
The Old French words ‘abbay’ or ‘abai’ mean ‘barking’. These came into English, first as ‘abay’ and later as ‘at bay’. Hounds that were barking were said in the 14th century to be ‘at a bay’.
What does to keep body and soul together means?
Definition of keep body and soul together : to have or get enough food and money to survive She kept body and soul together by working two jobs.
What figure of speech is keep at bay?
In addition to learning vocabulary and grammar, one must understand the figurative language of idiomatic phrases in order to know English like a native speaker. We will examine the meaning of the phrases hold at bay and keep at bay, where they came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Where does the term at bay come from?
What does bay mean in a relationship?
The short answer: Though this word was used in the 1500s to refer to sheep sounds, today bae is used as a term of endearment, often referring to your boyfriend or girlfriend.
What is an example of bay?
The definition of a bay is a large body of water connected to an ocean or sea formed by an inlet of land. The Chesapeake Bay surrounding Washington, D.C. and Baltimore is an example of a bay. Bay is defined as a long cry or howl. An example of a bay is the noise a horse makes.
Why does ‘at bay’ mean to hold off something?
hold at bay, to To keep some adverse situation from worsening; to hold off an enemy. The term comes from the Old French tenir a bay, which meant to hold open or in suspense, and referred to a hunted animal being cornered by its pursuers. The term was used literally by the fourteenth century, and figuratively soon thereafter.
What does keep someone at bay mean?
Keep at Bay Meaning. Definition: Keep someone or something away; Stop someone or something from approaching. An alternative version of this phrase is hold at bay.
What does holding at bay mean?
“Keeping at bay” or “holding at bay” can also mean “keeping something from escaping.”. So the idiom can be used to mean different things, but all of its meanings and uses have to do with hunting. In a way, the way the idiom is used depends on who is using it.