haystack

UK: /ˈheɪstæk/ US: /ˈheɪˌstæk/ ,(hā′stak′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

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 © 2026

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