▪ I. blay, bley, n.
(bleɪ)
Also 7 (rare) blea.
[OE. blǽᵹe (wk. fem.) is cogn. w. Ger. blei(h)e, MDu. bleie, mod.Du. blei:—OTeut. *blaijôn. Franck thinks it may be derived from the same root as Ger. blei lead, and OE. bléo, blee, complexion.]
The name of a small fish, the bleak.
| c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker Voc. 180 Gobio, blæᵹe 1611 Cotgr., Able, a blay, or bleake, fish. 1720 Stow's Surv. (ed. Strype 1754) II. v. xxvii. 479/2 No such person shall within the said bounds or limits fleet with any Blay net. 1787 Best Angling (ed. 2) 4 Alburnus, the Bleak or Bley. 1822 J. Imison Sc. & Art II. 336 The blay, or bleak fish which is very common in the rivers near London. 1849 Sidonia Sorc. II. 47 We have taken bley: the nets are all loaded. |
▪ II. blay, a.
(bleɪ)
[Variant of blae a.]
= blae a. 5 (‘unbleached’). Frequent in Irish use.
| 1785 Ann. Reg. 1783 (Useful Projects) 85/1 When I mention white flax, I do it in opposition to that, which..has the appellation of blay. 1861 E. O'Curry MS. Materials 38 Some with..green or blay or white cloaks. 1869 Dublin Gen. Advert. 24 Dec., Twilled and plain white calico sheets..blay ditto. 1913 ‘G. A. Birmingham’ Gen. John Regan xvii, They draped it..in a large sheet of blay calico of a light yellowish colour. |
▪ III. blay
variant of blea v. to bleat.
▪ IV. blay, -berry
dial. variant of blae, -berry.