noun
Dried grass or legumes used as animal feed. The kanji 乾芻 is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
冬に備えて、牛のためにかんすうをたくわえた。
We stored hay for the cows in preparation for winter.
干し草 is the common word for hay; 乾芻 is a rare, technical synonym.
From Chinese 乾芻 (gānchú), literally 'dry hay'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.