hay

1 of 2

noun

ˈhā 

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

hay

2 of 2

verb

hayed; haying; hays

intransitive verb

: to cut, cure, and store hay

transitive verb

: to feed with hay

Synonyms

Noun

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

Examples of hay in a Sentence

Noun

their credit card debt isn't hay—it'll take years to pay it off

dragging myself out of the hay on such a cold, dreary morning seemed like an act of sheer masochism

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Farmers threw beets, sprayed manure at police and set hay alight on Tuesday as hundreds of tractors again sealed off streets close to the European Union headquarters, where agriculture ministers sought to ease a crisis that has led to months of protests across the 27-member bloc. —Raf Casert, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024

In any climate that experiences frost, add mulch around the roots, like hay or wood chips, to protect roots from freezing temperatures. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1535, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing hay

• ain't hay
• a roll in the hay
• hay fever
• hay field
• hay-scented fern
• hit the hay
• make hay

Kids Definition

hay

1 of 2 noun

ˈhā 

: herbs (as grasses) cut and dried for use as fodder

hay

2 of 2 verb

1

: to cut, cure, and store plants for hay

2

: to feed with hay

Geographical Definition

Hay

geographical name

ˈhā 

river 530 miles (853 kilometers) long in northern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories, Canada, flowing northeast into Great Slave Lake

Biographical Definition

Hay

biographical name

ˈhā 

John Milton 1838–1905 American statesman