straw
Americannoun
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a single stalk or stem, especially of certain species of grain, chiefly wheat, rye, oats, and barley.
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a mass of such stalks, especially after drying and threshing, used as fodder.
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material, fibers, etc., made from such stalks, as used for making hats or baskets.
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the negligible value of one such stalk; trifle; least bit.
not to care a straw.
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a tube, usually of paper or glass, for sucking up a beverage from a container.
to sip lemonade through a straw.
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anything of possible but dubious help in a desperate circumstance.
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a straw hat.
adjective
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of, pertaining to, containing, or made of straw.
a straw hat.
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of the color of straw; pale yellow.
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of little value or consequence; worthless.
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sham; fictitious.
idioms
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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.
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catch / clutch / grasp at a straw / straws / any straw(s), to seize at any chance, no matter how slight, of saving oneself from calamity.
noun
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stalks of threshed grain, esp of wheat, rye, oats, or barley, used in plaiting hats, baskets, etc, or as fodder
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( as modifier )
a straw hat
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a single dry or ripened stalk, esp of a grass
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a long thin hollow paper or plastic tube or stem of a plant, used for sucking up liquids into the mouth
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(usually used with a negative) anything of little value or importance
I wouldn't give a straw for our chances
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a measure or remedy that one turns to in desperation (esp in the phrases clutch or grasp at a straw or straws )
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a pale yellow colour
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( as adjective )
straw hair
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a hint or indication
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a small incident, setback, etc that, coming after others, proves intolerable
adjective
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- strawless adjective
- strawlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of straw
before 950; Middle English; Old English strēaw; cognate with German Stroh; akin to strew
Explanation
Straw is a fiber made from dried plant stalks. Horses love it. People make baskets, hats, bedding, fuel, and much more from straw. But not drinking straws —those are usually plastic. Many farm animals have sleeping areas lined with straw. This stiff, dry fiber is also added to animal feed, pressed into bricks that can be burned as fuel, and even made into bales that can comprise the walls of a home. Straw is what's left over when the grain and chaff have been removed from cereal plants like wheat. The Old English streaw literally means "that which is scattered or strewn." As a color, straw is light yellowish beige.
Vocabulary lists containing straw
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It was a great break. That bounce would’ve put me in the pine straw and who knows if I would’ve had a shot to hit up the hill.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
When Everton found out their game against Manchester City in May had been moved to a Monday night it was the final straw for a frustrated fanbase.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
He bent down, picked up a straw wrapper and disposed of it in the nearest trash can, then kept walking.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
I know that sounds super baseball pretentious, like I should be wearing a straw hat and a bow tie, but I don’t care.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
I sang an old song of Da’s to comfort him until Celia threw a handful of bed straw at me, and Granda told us to say our prayers and close our eyes.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
