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noun

bai

noun
1
A waterlogged, open meadow found in forested parts of sub-Saharan Africa, often visited by large wildlife.
"Elephants gathered at the bai each evening to drink and forage."
"Researchers set up hidden cameras overlooking the bai to study gorilla behavior."
2
A yellowish haze of wind-blown dust that appears seasonally over parts of China and Japan.
"The bai settled over the city, dulling the sunlight for days."

How to Use Bai

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a marshy forest clearing in Africa, or a seasonal dust haze in East Asia — two unrelated senses sharing the same spelling.

Word Forms

bais plural, bais plural

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Fill the Gap

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Elephants gathered at the _____ each evening to drink and forage.

Etymology

The dust-haze sense was borrowed from Japanese 霾 (bai), first appearing in English texts in the early twentieth century.

Rhymes for bai

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial