/ heɪ; NAmE / noun [ U ]
1.
grass that has been cut and dried and is used as food for animals :
a bale of hay
—compare straw
2.
( NAmE , informal ) a small amount of money
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IDIOMS
- make hay while the sun shines
—more at hit verb , roll noun
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English hēg , hīeg , hīg , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hooi and German Heu , also to hew .