straw

[ straw ]

/ strɔ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR straw ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a single stalk or stem, especially of certain species of grain, chiefly wheat, rye, oats, and barley.

a mass of such stalks, especially after drying and threshing, used as fodder.

material, fibers, etc., made from such stalks, as used for making hats or baskets.

the negligible value of one such stalk; trifle; least bit: not to care a straw.

a tube, usually of paper or glass, for sucking up a beverage from a container: to sip lemonade through a straw.

anything of possible but dubious help in a desperate circumstance.

straw man(def 2).

a straw hat.

adjective

of, pertaining to, containing, or made of straw: a straw hat.

of the color of straw; pale yellow.

of little value or consequence; worthless.

sham; fictitious.

Nearby words

stravage, stravaig, stravinskian, stravinsky, stravinsky, igor, straw, straw boss, straw color, straw in the wind, straw man, straw mite

Idioms

catch/clutch/grasp at a straw/straws/any straw(s), to seize at any chance, no matter how slight, of saving oneself from calamity.

draw straws, to decide by lottery using straws or strawlike items of different lengths, usually with the short straw or straws determining the person chosen or the loser.

Origin of straw

before 950; Middle English; Old English strēaw; cognate with German Stroh; akin to strew

Related forms

straw·less, adjectivestraw·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for draw straws (1 of 3)

straw

/ (strɔː) /

noun

stalks of threshed grain, esp of wheat, rye, oats, or barley, used in plaiting hats, baskets, etc, or as fodder
(as modifier)a straw hat

a single dry or ripened stalk, esp of a grass

a long thin hollow paper or plastic tube or stem of a plant, used for sucking up liquids into the mouth

(usually used with a negative) anything of little value or importanceI wouldn't give a straw for our chances

a measure or remedy that one turns to in desperation (esp in the phrases clutch or grasp at a straw or straws)

a pale yellow colour
(as adjective)straw hair

straw in the wind a hint or indication

the last straw a small incident, setback, etc that, coming after others, proves intolerable

adjective

mainly US having little value or substance

Derived Forms

strawlike, adjective

Word Origin for straw

Old English streaw; related to Old Norse strā, Old Frisian strē, Old High German strō; see strew

British Dictionary definitions for draw straws (2 of 3)

straw

/ (strɔː) /

verb

archaic another word for strew

British Dictionary definitions for draw straws (3 of 3)

Straw

/ (strɔː) /

noun

Jack, full name John Whitaker Straw. born 1946, British Labour politician; Home Secretary (1997–2001); Foreign Secretary (2001–06); Lord Chancellor (2007–10)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with draw straws (1 of 2)

draw straws

Also, draw lots. Decide by a lottery using straws of different lengths. For example, Let's draw straws to see who will write the first draft. The lots version dates from the 1400s, whereas straws dates from the 1800s. Both have replaced the still older draw cuts. Another variant is draw the short straw, meaning to be the one so selected for a particular task.

Idioms and Phrases with draw straws (2 of 2)

straw

In addition to the idioms beginning with straw

straw boss
straw in the wind
straw that breaks the camel's back
straw vote

also see:

draw straws
grasp at straws
last straw
make bricks without straw
not worth a dime (straw)