hay

1 of 2

noun

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 hayH. C. Schonberg

hay

2 of 2

verb

hayed; haying; hays

intransitive verb

: to cut, cure, and store hay

transitive verb

: to feed with hay

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The festival also will include inflatables, hay rides, carnival games, face painting and other entertainment and activities. Shane Monaco, arkansasonline.com, 16 Oct. 2024 For some people, simply having objective data about when to hit the hay and when to wake up might function as a useful reminder to cover these bases, in the same way a step tracker spurs you to get your 10,000 steps. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
The holiday is loaded with customs such as leaving grass or hay out for the three kings in exchange for a gift. Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2022 Three Kings Day, normally celebrated Jan. 6, is loaded with customs such as leaving grass or hay out for the three wise men in exchange for a gift. Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2022 See all Example Sentences for hay 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of hay was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hay

Cite this Entry

“Hay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hay. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hay

1 of 2 noun
: 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

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

John Milton 1838–1905 American statesman

More from Merriam-Webster on hay

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