Word
haystack
US/ˈheɪˌstæk/
UK/hˈeɪstæk/
Countable noun Agriculture
Definition
n. a large pile of dried grass or straw. It is also used to describe a situation where it is very hard to find what you are looking for.
n. a large, round pile of dried grass or straw. In a figurative sense, it refers to a large, disorganized collection of data or objects from which a specific item is difficult to locate.
Examples
“The farmer stacked the hay into a large haystack.”
“Finding a specific document in that old filing cabinet is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“The software engineer optimized the search algorithm to ensure that even within a massive haystack of unstructured data, the relevant results would be surfaced in milliseconds.”
Examples
simple
“The farmer stacked the hay into a large haystack.”
contextual
“Finding a specific document in that old filing cabinet is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
complex
“The software engineer optimized the search algorithm to ensure that even within a massive haystack of unstructured data, the relevant results would be surfaced in milliseconds.”
Real-World Examples
“Finding a single cancer cell in a tube of blood is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack.” “However, finding tumor-derived EVs in blood can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, Kapoor said, because they are mixed among a much larger population of EVs released by healthy tissues.” Etymology
From Middle English haystak, haystake, hey stak, equivalent to hay + stack.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/haystack