Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Buzzards Bay

Buzzards Bay

5.9
A bay of the Atlantic Ocean in southeastern Massachusetts, USA
  • proper noun
  • /ˈbʌzərdz beɪ/
translation icon : Bahía Buzzards
  • It was the first-ever occurrence of red tide in Buzzards Bay.

Examples

  • Have you ever visited Buzzards Bay during the summer?

  • After the storm, several boats had to be rescued from Buzzards Bay.

  • Many fishermen earn their living from the rich waters of Buzzards Bay.

  • The coastline along Buzzards Bay is popular for sailing and boating enthusiasts.

  • The scenic views around Buzzards Bay attract many tourists.

  • The little plane soars over Buzzards Bay.

  • The boy was among 12 people aboard a 24-foot powerboat when it capsized near Hog Island in Buzzards Bay, about a mile from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Surface Forms

Buzzards Bay main

Morphology

Buzzards + bay

The name combines 'buzzards' (birds) with 'bay' (a coastal inlet), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer it refers to a bay associated with buzzards — i.e., a coastal inlet. The precise geographic location (southeastern Massachusetts) is proper-name information and not derivable, but the basic compositional meaning is transparent.

Etymology

Buzzards Bay may come from early visitors who saw many buzzards, a large bird that eats dead animals, flying over the bay. That's why the name today simply refers to the 'inlet' of the sea in southeastern Massachusetts.