baying

Baying is the act of producing a long, loud, sustained howl or cry, especially by hounds or other pack animals during a pursuit. The term can refer to the vocalization itself (the bay) or to the act of baying. In common usage, it is often associated with foxhounds, stag hounds, and other hunting dogs, but wolves and other canids are described as baying as well. The expression can also be used metaphorically to describe a loud, insistent demand or a chorus of cries from a crowd.

Etymology: The word baying derives from the verb bay, with roots in the Germanic language family. The sense of howling or barking is attested in Middle English and relates to cognate terms in other Germanic languages; the exact origin is uncertain, but the sense of a loud, prolonged cry is ancient.

In hunting practice: When a pack of hounds finds scent, they bay to communicate location, coordinate the pursuit, and alert the hunters. The baying can rise in volume as the chase continues or when quarry is cornered. Hounds bay to keep within scent range; baying is not the same as the chase; after the quarry is caught, baying may ease or cease.

In culture and language: The phrase "baying at the moon" describes howling at the moon, and "to bay for blood" is a metaphor for intense desire for vengeance. In literature and film, baying is used to evoke ferocious or uncanny atmosphere.