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What is the difference between haystack and hay?

haystack | hay | Derived terms |

Hay is a derived term of haystack.



As nouns the difference between haystack and hay

is that haystack is a mound, pile, or stack of stored hay while hay is grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder.

As a verb hay is

to cut grasses or herb plants for use as animal fodder.

haystack

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A mound, pile, or stack of stored hay.
  • Synonyms

    * hayrick

    Derived terms

    * needle in a haystack

    hay

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) (m), from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder.
  • * Camden
  • Make hay while the sun shines.
  • * C. L. Flint
  • Hay may be dried too much as well as too little.
  • (countable) Any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder.
  • (slang) Cannabis; marijuana.
  • * 1947 , William Burroughs, letter, 19 Feb 1947:
  • I would like some of that hay . Enclose $20.
  • A net set around the haunt of an animal, especially a rabbit.
  • (Rowe)
  • (obsolete) A hedge.
  • (obsolete) A circular country dance.
  • to dance the hay
    Derived terms
    * hay fever * hayloft, hay loft * haystack * hayward * hit the hay * make hay while the sun shines

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cut grasses or herb plants for use as animal fodder.
  • To lay snares for rabbits.
  • (Huloet)

    References

    Webster's Online Dictionary article on hay

    Etymology 2

    : From the sound it represents, by analogy with other letters such as kay'' and ''gay''. The expected form in English if the ''h'' had survived in the Latin name of the letter "h", ''h? .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The name of the letter for the h sound in Pitman shorthand.
  • Anagrams

    * * * ----