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 A bay window isn’t really a “window” in the singular form—it’s a series of three windows. From the French baie or the Old French baer, meaning to gape or stand open, a bay window projects out from a house wall, forming an open interior bay or recess. This design is particularly effective at gathering light and offering a wider view than possible with a single window. A bay window consists of a center window flanked by two side windows that return to the house wall at an angle—normally 30 or 45 degrees. Although the center sash is usually larger and fixed (non-operable), the two side windows are often operable casement or double-hung sashes.
Because a bay window projects out, it is usually capped with its own small roof or covering. Some large bay windows also surround an interior window seat.
Back in the mid-15th century, when the term “bay window” first came into being, these windows took the shapes of rectangular, polygonal, or semicircular forms. Today, a curving series of windows is called a bow window. Major window manufacturers sell both bay and bow windows as ready-to-install, assembled units made from wood, vinyl, or aluminum.
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