hay
/heɪ/ (bre, ipa) · [hˈe] /heɪ/ (ame, ipa) · [hˈe] /ˈhā/ (ame, mw)
hay — noun
1. Dried grass used to feed farm animals such as horses, cows, or sheep.
Dried grass used to feed farm animals such as horses, cows, or sheep.
The farmer stored the hay in a large barn before winter arrived.
Yumi fed the horses a fresh pile of hay every morning.
collocation: pile of hay
The dry weather was perfect for cutting and collecting hay from the fields.
A strong smell of hay filled the barn where the cows were resting.
Andrew stacked the hay bales in the field after the summer harvest.
2. A place to sleep; bed. Used almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'hit the hay'
A place to sleep; bed. Used almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'hit the hay'.
After a long day of hiking, the tired campers were ready to hit the hay.
collocation: hit the hay (informal, meaning go to bed)
Sofia yawned and told her roommate she was going to hit the hay early.
It was past midnight, so Andrew decided it was time to hit the hay.
The children were exhausted and could not wait to hit the hay after the party.
用法筆記
Almost always occurs in the fixed expression 'hit the hay.' Other forms such as 'find some hay' in the same meaning are very rare.
常見錯誤
hay — verb
- haypresent simple I / you / we / they
- hays3rd person singular
- haying-ing form
- hayedpast simple
1. To cut grass and leave it to dry in the sun, then collect and store it so it can
To cut grass and leave it to dry in the sun, then collect and store it so it can be used as animal food.
In late June, the family spent a week haying the fields before the rain.
pattern: hay + [land/field] (transitive)
The old tractor was used to hay the meadow behind the farmhouse.
Yumi's uncle taught her how to hay the fields using traditional methods.
The farmers usually hay the land twice during the summer growing season.
用法筆記
Far less common than the noun form. This verb is mostly used in agricultural or rural contexts describing farm work.
2. To give hay to an animal as its food.
To give hay to an animal as its food.
Every evening the stable hand hays the horses before locking the barn.
pattern: hay + [animal] (direct object is the animal)
The farmer hays the sheep twice a day during the cold winter months.
Andrew hays the goats every morning before letting them out to graze.
The ranch manager showed the new worker how to hay the cattle properly.
用法筆記
The direct object of this verb is the animal being fed, not the hay itself. You 'hay the horses' — do not say 'hay the hay.'