Other forms: quays
A quay is the solid landing place ships tie up against. Along the quay, moored at the quay, quayside cafes.
It is built parallel to the shore where a jetty sticks out, which is the distinction. Note the pronunciation, which is key: the spelling was changed in the 1690s to look like the French quai while keeping the older English sound, which is why it catches everybody out.
1nounquayThe solid landing place ships tie up against.
“The fishermen unloaded their catch onto the quay.”
quay is a landing place.
Also accepted in games: wharf
Middle English key comes from an Old French word of Celtic origin. The spelling was changed in the 1690s to match French quai.
Proto-Indo-European
*kagʰyóm — enclosure
Proto-Celtic
*kagyom — pen, enclosure
cel-gau
*kagyum
Old French
kay
Middle English
kay
English, today
quay
Built from
The current spelling replaced the spelling key in the 1690s to emulate the spelling but (at least originally) not the pronunciation of the equivalent modern French quai. From Middle English kay, key, kaye, keye, from Old French kay, cail, from cel-gau kagyum, cagiíun (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“field”)), from Proto-Indo-European kagʰyóm (“enclosure”). a doublet of hedge and hey.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA