bay 4 
(bā)
(bā)n.
1. A deep, prolonged bark, such as the sound made by hounds.
2. The position of one cornered by pursuers and forced to turn and fight at close quarters: The hunters brought their quarry to bay.
3. The position of having been checked or held at a distance: "He has seen the nuclear threat held at bay for 40 years" (Earl W. Foell).
v. bayed, bay·ing, bays
v.intr.
To utter a deep, prolonged bark.
v.tr.
1. To pursue or challenge with barking: "I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon" (Shakespeare).
2. To express by barking or howling: a mob baying its fury.
3. To bring to bay: "too big for the dogs which tried to bay it" (William Faulkner).
[Middle English, from abai, the cornering of a hunted animal by barking dogs, from Old French, from abaier, to bark; akin to Italian abbaiare and Occitan abaiar, all ultimately of imitative origin. Verb, from Middle English baien, to bark, from abaien, from Old French abaier.]