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.

RELATED WORDS

fodder, silage, ensilage

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

Examples from the Web for straw

Exactly one month after the first straw goat was erected in Gävle, it was mysteriously burned to a crisp.
Sweden’s Burning Christmas Goat|Nina Strochlic|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I thanked him, sat down on the sofa, and sipped it through the straw.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hana seeks refuge from the buzzing lights of Otome Road in a nearby café and makes another swirl with her straw.
The Japanese Women Who Love Gay Anime|Brandon Presser|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She slowly moves her straw through the whipped cream in her designer latte and looks up.
The Japanese Women Who Love Gay Anime|Brandon Presser|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A Saudi Arabian television ad for Viagra shows a man struggling to push a straw through the lid of his beverage.
Laughter Will Be the Legacy of Viagra|Samantha Allen|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I belong so much to the stunned sleepers in the straw who cannot feel.
A Journal of Impressions in Belgium|May Sinclair
Another method of keeping the straw in place is by stretching binder twine directly over the row.
The Gladiolus|Matthew Crawford
Susan took her horse there; loosened his girths, and rubbed him down with a wisp of straw.
Half a Life-time Ago|Elizabeth Gaskell
Color flew into her thin cheeks, and the eyes that stared at Hazel's straw tam-o'-shanter grew dim.
Jewel's Story Book|Clara Louise Burnham
A bundle of straw, tied with a rope, is brought into the courtyard and left to stand there near the Yule logs.
Balder The Beautiful, Vol. I.|Sir James George Frazer

British Dictionary definitions for straw (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 straw (2 of 3)

straw

/ (strɔː) /

verb

archaic another word for strew

British Dictionary definitions for straw (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

Culture definitions for straw

grasp (clutch) at straws

To make a final, desperate effort: “The candidate made a few last attempts to discredit his opponent, but it was clear he was just grasping at straws.”

Idioms and Phrases with straw

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)

straw

noun

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of straw

Related forms

Examples from the Web for straw

British Dictionary definitions for straw (1 of 3)

straw

noun

adjective

Derived Forms

Word Origin for straw

British Dictionary definitions for straw (2 of 3)

straw

verb

British Dictionary definitions for straw (3 of 3)

Straw

noun

Culture definitions for straw

grasp (clutch) at straws

Idioms and Phrases with straw

straw