haystack

Meanings

1. A mound, pile, or stack of stored hay.
2. A standing wave in a rapid.
3. The text string within which another string is searched for. (see: needle in a haystack)
4. Any place or collection of items through which one searches for something that is rare and hard to find.
5. A dish composed of a starchy food (rice, tortillas, crackers, etc.) topped by a protein (beans, cheese, meat, etc.) in combination with fresh vegetables, assembled on the plate by the diner.

1. A locality in the Kyogle council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.

Etymology

From Middle English haystak, haystake, hey stak, equivalent to hay + stack.