noun
hay
hay
noun
1
Grass that has been cut and dried, used as feed for animals.
"The farmer stacked bales of hay in the barn before winter."
"The horses were given fresh hay every morning."
2
Slang for cannabis or marijuana.
"He joked that the smell coming from the flat was hay, not tobacco."
verb
1
To cut and dry grass for use as animal feed.
"They spent the whole weekend haying the back field."
How to Use Hay
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDried grass used to feed livestock, or informally, weed.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "hey" (the greeting) — they sound identical but are unrelated.
Common pairings
bale of hay
make hay
hay fever
Word Forms
hayed past tense, hays plural, hays plural, hays plural, hays singular
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The farmer stacked bales of _____ in the barn before winter.
Etymology
From Old English hieg/hig, related to the verb "hew" (to cut down) — hay is literally "the cut stuff."