English Reference

Word

hay

US/ˈheɪ/

UK/hˈeɪ/

Definitions

01animal food

A2

n. grass that is cut and dried so it can be used as food for animals.

n. grass or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder.

“The farmer stored the dry hay in the barn to feed the cows during winter.”

“After the harvest, the fields were dotted with large round bales of hay waiting to be transported to the livestock pens.”

Pitfall

The horse ate a lot of hays.

The horse ate a lot of hay.

When referring to the dried grass as a material or food, 'hay' is uncountable and does not take a plural 's'.

02to harvest grass

B2

v. to cut and dry grass to make it into food for animals.

v. to cut, dry, and store grass or similar plants for use as fodder.

“They spent the whole weekend haying while the weather was hot and dry.”

“The agricultural workers began haying the north meadow as soon as the morning dew had evaporated from the stalks.”

Synonyms

03marijuana

C1

n. a slang word for the drug marijuana.

n. a slang term for cannabis or marijuana, typically used in informal or underground contexts.

“He was caught with a small bag of hay in his pocket.”

“The local authorities reported an increase in the illegal distribution of hay within the downtown district.”

Slang · Informal

Synonyms

Word family

hayNounhaystackNoun

Related words

Idioms

make hay while the sun shines — To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference