BISCAY, BAY OF (Fr. Golfe de Gascogne; Sp. Golfo de Vizcaya), an inlet of the Atlantic ocean; bounded on the east and north-east by France, and on the south by Spain. It was called by the Romans Sinus Aquitanicus, Sinus Cantabricus or Cantaber Oceanus, whence the term Cantabrian Sea. The name Biscay is a corrupt form of the Spanish Vizcaya. The curve of the bay is broken on the French sea-board by the estuaries of Loire, Garonne, etc. The mountainous Spanish coast has many fjord-like inlets, especially in the west, where navigation is difficult. The bay, with its exposed position and varied currents, is notorious for its storms.