Bight (geography)

In geography, a bight is a bend or curve in a coastline, river, or other geographical feature. It typically indicates a large, open bay, often only slightly receding. It is distinguished from a sound by being shallower. Traditionally, explorers defined a bight as a bay that could be sailed out of on a single tack in a square-rigged sailing vessel, regardless of the direction of the wind (typically meaning the apex of the bight is less than 25 degrees from the edges).

The term is derived from Old English byht (“bend, angle, corner; bay, bight”) and is not etymologically related to "bite" (Old English bītan).

Notable bights 
 Bay of Campeche
 Bay of Plenty
 Bight of Benin
 Bight of Biafra or Bight of Bonny
 Canterbury Bight
 Flemish Bight
 German Bight or Heligoland Bight
 Great Australian Bight
 McKenzie Bight
 Mecklenburg Bight
 Mid-Atlantic Bight
 New York Bight
 Cameron Sound
 North Taranaki Bight
 Robson Bight
 Santa Monica Bay
 South Taranaki Bight
 Southern Bight
 Southern California Bight
 Trinity Bight, Newfoundland and Labrador

References

 
Category:Bodies of water
Category:Coastal and oceanic landforms
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