Home › Glossary › Letter Q

quay

Nautical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A stone or concrete embankment along a waterfront for loading and unloading ships.

Detailed Definition
The quay is the solid, enduring face of the commercial city, where the abstraction of trade becomes concrete. In poetry, it symbolizes permanence, industry, and the heavy materials of civilization. Unlike a wooden pier, a stone quay suggests longevity and unyielding stability. Poets use the quay to discuss the meeting of nature and human labor, the weight of cargoes that carry the world's wealth, and the grinding daily work that supports maritime adventure. The quay's edge is a threshold where the ship's soft wood meets the land's hard masonry, a line of tension and exchange.
Example
Example in poetry:
The quay in poetry symbolizes permanence, industry, and the heavy materials of civilization.; Unlike a wooden pier, a stone quay suggests longevity and unyielding stability.; Poets use the quay to discuss the meeting of nature and human labor, the weight of cargoes that carry the world’s wealth.; The quay’s edge is a threshold where the ship’s soft wood meets the land’s hard masonry.; It is a stone or concrete embankment along a waterfront for loading and unloading.; The quay represents the solid, enduring face of the commercial city.
Additional Notes
A quay is a solid stone or concrete embankment along the waterfront, used for loading and unloading. In poetry, it symbolizes permanence, industry, and the heavy, enduring materials of civilization. Unlike a wooden pier, a stone quay suggests longevity and an unyielding stability. Poets use the quay to discuss the meeting of nature and human labor, the weight of cargoes that carry the world's wealth, and the grinding, daily work that supports maritime adventure. The quay's edge is a firm threshold where the soft wood of the ship meets the hard masonry of the land, a line of tension and exchange.
Also Known As
Wharf pier landing embankment
Skip to main content