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make hay while the sun shines. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
make hay while the sun shines, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
make hay while the sun shines in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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make hay while the sun shines will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
make hay while the sun shines, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Hay harvest can be spoiled by wet weather. It is important that farmers seize the opportunity of dry weather for haymaking tasks (cutting, drying, gathering). Especially in medieval times, when forecasting the weather several days in advance was more difficult, it was all the more vital. Attested since 1546, originally a Tudor expression, and used figuratively since 1673.
Pronunciation
Verb
make hay while the sun shines (third-person singular simple present makes hay while the sun shines, present participle making hay while the sun shines, simple past and past participle made hay while the sun shone)
- (literal, agriculture) To make hay during favourable (dry) weather.
- (idiomatic) To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.
2023 June 28, Ben Jones, “Are we getting rid of our (still useful) rolling stock too early?”, in RAIL, number 986, page 28:Until the mid-2010s, the ROSCOs 'made hay while the sun shone', taking advantage of growing passenger demand and expanding services to find homes for their rolling assets - in some cases, well beyond their expected design lives.
Usage notes
In the imperative form, this verb is used as a proverb.
Translations
act while an opportunity exists
See also
References
- Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, →ISBN, p. 225.