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Definition of hay
hay
/heɪ/
hay
Plural:hays
•Past Simple:hayed
•Past Participle:hayed
•Present Participle:haying
hay Lexical Profile
CEFR
A2
Grade
2
Tier
1
Usage
Top 5k
hay Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
Grass, alfalfa, or clover that has been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder.
Example
"The farmer spent the afternoon loading bales of hay into the barn to feed the horses during the winter."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for hay• verb
1
To cut, dry, and store grass or other plants to produce fodder.
Example
"They hayed the lower fields early this year to take advantage of the unusually dry weather."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with 'straw'; hay is dried grass or legumes cut with the seed heads intact for animal nutrition, whereas straw consists of the hollow stalks remaining after grain has been harvested.
• Rhymes for hay
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'hēg' or 'hīeg', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'hooi', German 'Heu', and the Old English verb 'hēawan' meaning 'to hew' or 'to cut'.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Hay. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/hay