hayrick

IPA/rɪk/
IPA/rɪk/

hayrick — noun

  • hayricksingular
  • hayricksplural

1. a neatly shaped outdoor mound of hay or straw that farmers store for animal feed

1.nounC1
Definition

a neatly shaped outdoor mound of hay or straw that farmers store for animal feed

Example

Salma helped her uncle build a hayrick in the corner of their field after harvest.

collocation: build a hayrick

The hayrick beside the barn was covered with a blue tarp to keep rain out.

passive: was covered with [protective material]

Common collocations
  • build a hayrick
  • cover a hayrick
  • climb a hayrick
  • jump into a hayrick
  • cut slices from a hayrick
  • a hayrick of straw
Synonyms
  • haystack

    the everyday term in both British and American English; does not imply neat shaping

  • rick

    shorter form that can also refer to stacks of straw or corn, not just hay; mainly British

  • haymow

    an older term for hay stored in a barn loft, not an outdoor pile

Grammar Patterns

a hayrick

hayrick + of + noun

Usage Note

Less common than 'haystack', and used mainly in British English. A hayrick usually implies a neatly built pile, sometimes with a thatched or tarpaulin cover to shed rain.

Common Mistakes

The farmer parked his tractor beside a hayrick of stones.
The farmer parked his tractor beside a hayrick of hay.
A hayrick is only a pile of hay or straw, not other materials.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Hayrick, haystack, and rick all describe piles of dried grass or straw stored on a farm. 'Haystack' is the most common term in both American and British English and can refer to any large pile of hay, regardless of shape. 'Hayrick' is used mainly in British English and often suggests a neatly built, sometimes thatched stack — it carries a slightly more specific, traditional farming flavour. 'Rick' is the shortest form and can also apply to stacks of straw, corn, or other field crops, not just hay. For example, a farmer might say 'We built a haystack in the north field' (neutral, everyday), but 'The hayrick stood beside the old barn' (more specifically British and neat-looking), or 'The straw rick caught fire' (using 'rick' for a non-hay crop). 'Haymow' is an older term that refers to hay stored in a barn loft rather than an outdoor pile, so it is not interchangeable with the others.

haystack ↗rickhaymow

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • build a hayrick
  • cover a hayrick
  • climb a hayrick

Prepositions

  • in a hayrick
  • on top of a hayrick
  • from a hayrick

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Hayrick comes from two Old English words: 'hēg' (hay, meaning dried grass) and 'hrēac' (a stack or pile). The compound has been in use since at least the 14th century to describe a farmer's carefully built stack of hay. The verb 'rick' (to sprain) is a separate word of different origin and is not related to the noun.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above