1
general::
Cornered, in distress, as in Angry bystanders chased the thief into an alley and held him at bay until the police arrived. This idiom originally came from hunting, where it describes an animal that has been driven back and now faces pursuing hounds. Its use for other situations dates from the late 1500s.
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): *at bay
Fig. at a distance. (*Typically: be ~; keep someone or something ~; remain ~.) • I have to keep the bill collectors at bay until I get my paycheck. • The mosquitoes will not remain at bay for very long.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs