- a wharf, typically one built parallel to the shoreline
Compare pier
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
quay /ki, keɪ, kweɪ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a landing place, as of stone or concrete, built near the edge of a body of water;
a wharf.
quay
(kē, kā, kwā),USA pronunciation n.
- a landing place, esp. one of solid masonry, constructed along the edge of a body of water;
wharf. - Old French kay, cay; akin to Spanish cayo shoal. See key2
- spelling, spelled variant (after French quai) of earlier kay (also key, whence the modern pronunciation) 1690–1700
- pier, dock, landing, levee.
- Biographical Matthew Stanley, 1833–1904, U.S. politician: senator 1887–99, 1901–4.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
quay /kiː/ n
'quay' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):