hayrick

US: (hā′rik′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hay•rick  (hā′rik′), n. 

1. Dialect Terms [Chiefly Midland U.S.] rick¹ (def. 1).
2. Dialect Terms, British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] a haystack.

• late Middle English heyrek. See hay, rick¹ 1400–50

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hay•stack /ˈheɪˌstæk/   n. [countable]

1. Agriculture a stack of hay built up in a field.

Idioms

2. a needle in a haystack, something difficult to find:
   Looking for someone in this mob is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hay•stack  (hā′stak′), n. 

1. Agriculture a stack of hay with a conical or ridged top, built up in the mowed field so as to prevent the accumulation of moisture and promote drying.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] hayrick. 

• late Middle English. See hay, stack 1425–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

haystack / ˈheɪˌstæk/, hayrick / ˈheɪˌrɪk/ noun

1. a large pile of hay, esp one built in the open air and covered with thatch