hay

¹hay

noun \ˈhā\

Definition of HAY

1

: herbage and especially grass mowed and cured for fodder

2

: reward

3

slang : bed

4

: a small sum of money <a saving of…$14 million is not hay — H. C. Schonberg>

Examples of HAY

1. <their credit card debt isn't hay—it'll take years to pay it off>
2. <dragging myself out of the hay on such a cold, dreary morning seemed like an act of sheer masochism>

Origin of HAY

Middle English hey, from Old English hīeg; akin to Old High German hewi hay, Old English hēawan to hew

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HAY

Synonyms

chicken feed [slang], chump change, dime, mite, peanuts, pin money, pittance, shoestring, song, two cents

Antonyms

big buck(s), boodle, bundle, fortune, king's ransom, megabuck(s), mint, wad

Related Words

petty cash, pocket money, spending money

Near Antonyms

bankroll, capital, funds, means, wherewithal; opulence, pelf, riches, treasure, wealth; heap, pile, pot; bonanza, mine, treasure trove, treasury

Rhymes with HAY

a, ae, bay, bey, blae, brae, bray, chez, clay, Cray, day, dey, dray, eh, fay, fey, flay, fley, frae, fray, Frey, gay, Gay, gey, gley, gray, he, hey, Hue, j, jay, Jay, k, kay, Kay, lay, lei, may, nay, né, née, neigh, Ney, pay, pe, play, pray, prey, qua, quai, quay, Rae, ray, re, say, shay, slay, sleigh, spae, spay, Spey, splay, spray, stay, stray, sway, Tay, they, tray, trey, way, weigh, whey, yea

²hay

verb

Definition of HAY

intransitive verb

: to cut, cure, and store hay

transitive verb

: to feed with hay

First Known Use of HAY

1535

Hay

biographical name \ˈhā\

Definition of HAY

John Milton 1838–1905 Am. statesman

Hay

geographical name \ˈhā\

Definition of HAY

river 530 miles (853 kilometers) Canada in N Alberta & S Northwest Territories flowing NE into Great Slave Lake

hay

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In agriculture, dried grasses and other foliage used as animal feed. Typical hay crops are timothy, alfalfa, and clover. Usually the material is cut in the field while still green and then either dried in the field or mechanically dried by forced hot air. Balers compress hay into tightly packed rectangular or cylindrical bales tied with wire or twine. Loose hay may also be “vacuumed” off the field and then blown into stacks in a barn or other storage facility. Properly cured hay with 20% or less moisture may be stored for months without danger of spoilage.