cay

Small sandy island

A cay is a small, low island formed on a coral reef or sand bar, typically found in the Caribbean or along tropical coastlines.

The word is pronounced like "key" and shares meaning with that word—both derive from the same Spanish source.

We anchored near a sandy cay for the afternoon.

landform

islet

Very small land mass

sandbank · shoal · reef · lagoon · barrier · beach · inlet · channel · coast · harbor

tropical

palm

Hand's flat interior

  • coconutHard-shelled tropical drupe
  • mangroveTidal shrub with exposed roots
  • coralMarine skeletal formation

turquoise · lagoon · Caribbean · Bahamas · Keys · equator · humidity · monsoon · hurricane · cyclone

marine

coral

Marine skeletal formation

  • reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
  • seabedUnderwater terrain below
  • tidalOf sea rhythms

currents · saltwater · nautical · navigation · kelp · algae · barnacle · anemone · starfish · conch

wildlife

seabird

Ocean-dwelling winged creature

gull · iguana · sea turtle · nesting · rookery · colony · endemic · migratory · sanctuary · preserve

secluded

remote

Distant or controller

hideaway · retreat · castaway · marooned · private · exclusive · isolated · undiscovered · deserted · virgin

Categories
Opposites
landmass scale

caycontinent

Large connected landmass

mainland · landmass · subcontinent · mountain · volcanic peak

elevation and formation type

cayvolcanic peak

Top of erupting mountain

volcanic island · stratovolcano · seamount · atoll

land vs. water

cayopen ocean

Sea far from shore

deep sea · abyss · ocean trench

Phrases
Family

cays

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G