Baying Meaning and Definition
Baying
Pronunciation
/ˈbeɪɪŋ/
Part of Speech
Noun
Definition
A loud, mournful cry, especially of a dog.
Examples
- The dog’s baying echoed through the valley.
- The hunters followed the baying of the hounds through the forest.
Synonyms
- Howling
- Whimpering
Antonyms
- Silence
- Quiet
Additional Information
Baying is often associated with hunting and tracking dogs, particularly in the context of hunting hounds. The sound of baying can be used to locate the source of the noise, as it tends to carry for great distances. In some cultures, baying is also seen as a form of communication between dogs, serving as a warning or a call to action.
Etymology
The word “Baying” originates from the Old English word “bæcian”, meaning “to bark” or “to howl”. This word is believed to have been influenced by the Latin word “vacare”, meaning “to bark” or “to cry out”.
Usage Notes
Baying is typically used in the present tense to describe the act of making a loud, mournful cry. It can also be used in the past tense to describe an event in which a dog made a baying sound. For example, “The dog was baying loudly in the distance” or “The hounds began to bay as they caught the scent of the prey”.
Cultural References
Baying has been featured in various forms of media, including literature, music, and film. For example, the phrase “The Hound of the Baskervilles” features a dog that bays loudly in the fog.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
Baying has been used in idiomatic expressions such as “to bay at the moon”, meaning to howl or cry out loudly, often in a futile or hopeless manner.
Related Words or Phrases
- Bark
- Howl
- Yelp
Collocations
- Baying hounds
- Loud baying
- Far-off baying
Frequency of Use
Baying is a relatively rare word in modern language, but it is often used in specific contexts such as hunting and tracking.
Common Misspellings
- Baing
- Bayeing
- Baynig