hay

hay
\ \ [OE] Etymologically, hay is ‘that which is cut down’. It comes ultimately from the prehistoric Germanic verb *khauwan, source also of English hew, which was formed from the Indo-European base *kou-, *kow-. From it was derived the noun *khaujam, which has become German hau, Dutch hooi, Swedish and Danish , and English hay – ‘grass cut down and dried’. Other English descendants of Germanic *khauwancut down’ are haggle [16], which originally meant ‘hack, mutilate’ and was derived from an earlier hagcut’, a borrowing from Old Norse höggvacut’; and hoe [14], which comes via Old French houe from Frankish *hauwacut’.
\ \ Cf.HAGGLE, HEW, HOE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Hay — Hay, n. [OE. hei, AS. h[=e]g; akin to D. hooi, OHG. hewi, houwi, G. heu, Dan. & Sw. h[ o], Icel. hey, ha, Goth. hawi grass, fr. the root of E. hew. See {Hew} to cut.] Grass cut and cured for fodder. [1913 Webster] Make hay while the sun shines.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hay — /hay/, n. John Milton, 1838 1905, U.S. statesman and author. * * * I In agriculture, dried grasses and other foliage used as animal feed. Typical hay crops are timothy, alfalfa, and clover. Usually the material is cut in the field while still… …   Universalium

  • hay — hay1 [hā] n. [ME hei < OE hieg (akin to Ger heu) < base of OE heawan, to cut: see HEW] 1. grass, alfalfa, clover, etc. cut and dried for use as fodder 2. Slang bed, often, specif., as a place for sexual intercourse ☆ 3. Slang a small amount …   English World dictionary

  • hay — hay; hay·doo·dle; hay·er; hay·sel; lin·hay; na·ma·ma·hay; hay·lage; le·hay·yim; …   English syllables

  • HAY — could refer to:* Hay; dried grass. * Haycock Airport, Alaska, United States; IATA airport code HAY. * Hayes and Harlington railway station, England; National Rail station code HAY. * HAY the Danish design company …   Wikipedia

  • hay — grass mown, O.E. heg (Anglian), hieg, hig (W.Saxon) grass cut or mown for fodder, from P.Gmc. *haujam (Cf. O.N. hey, O.Fris. ha, M.Du. hoy, Ger. Heu, Goth. hawi hay ), lit. that which is cut, or that which can be mowed, from PIE *kau …   Etymology dictionary

  • hay — ► NOUN ▪ grass that has been mown and dried for use as fodder. ● hit the hay Cf. ↑hit the hay ● make hay (while the sun shines) Cf. ↑make hay while the sun shines DERIVATIVES hayi …   English terms dictionary

  • hay — [heı] n [U] [: Old English; Origin: hieg] 1.) long grass that has been cut and dried, often used as food for cattle 2.) make hay (while the sun shines) to take the opportunity to do something now, because you may not be able to do it later 3.)… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Hay — Hay, v. i. To cut and cure grass for hay. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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