straw

straw
straw
S3 [stro: US stro:] n
[: Old English; Origin: streaw]
1.)
a) [U]
the dried stems of wheat or similar plants that animals sleep on, and that are used for making things such as baskets, hats etc
→↑hay
a straw hat
b)
a single dried stem of straw
2.)
a thin tube of paper or plastic for sucking up liquid from a bottle or a cup
She sipped her lemonade through a straw.
3.) the last straw also the straw that breaks the camel's back
the last problem in a series of problems that finally makes you give up, get angry etc
Making me work late on Friday was the last straw.
4.) be clutching/grasping at straws
to be trying everything you can to succeed, even though the things you are doing are not likely to help or work
5.) straw in the wind
BrE a sign of what might happen in the future
There have been a few straws in the wind suggesting things might be getting a little better.
6.) straw man
AmE a weak opponent or imaginary argument that can easily be defeated
draw the short straw atdraw1 (29)

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
, (of grain after being thrashed) / , , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Straw — is an agricultural by product, the dry of a cereal plant, after the grain or seed has been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. In times gone by, it was regarded as a useful by …   Wikipedia

  • Straw — Straw, n. [OE. straw, stre, stree, AS. stre[ a]w, from the root of E. strew; akin to OFries. str[=e], D. stroo, G. stroh, OHG. str[=o], Icel. str[=a], Dan. straa, Sw. str[*a]. [root]166. See {Strew}.] 1. A stalk or stem of certain species of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • straw — [strô] n. [ME stra < OE streaw, akin to streawian: see STREW] 1. hollow stalks or stems of grain after threshing, collectively: used for fodder, for bedding, for making hats, etc. 2. a single one of such stalks 3. such a stalk or, now esp., a… …   English World dictionary

  • straw — [ strɔ ] noun ** 1. ) uncount the yellow stems of dried crops such as wheat: bales of straw a straw hat 2. ) count a long thin paper or plastic tube that you use for drinking clutch/grasp at straws to try to find anything at all that will help… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • straw — straw; straw·berry; straw·ber·ry·ing; straw·en; straw·ish; straw·less; win·dle·straw; …   English syllables

  • straw — ► NOUN 1) dried stalks of grain, used as fodder or for thatching, packing, or weaving. 2) a single dried stalk of grain. 3) a thin hollow tube of paper or plastic for sucking drink from a container. 4) a pale yellow colour. ● clutch at straws Cf …   English terms dictionary

  • straw — (n.) O.E. streaw stems or stalks of certain cereals, lit. that which is scattered or strewn, related to streowian (see STREW (Cf. strew)), from P.Gmc. *strawam that which is scattered (Cf. O.N. stra, Dan. straa, Swed. strô, O.Fris. stre, O.Du., O …   Etymology dictionary

  • Straw — ist der Name folgender Personen: Ezekiel A. Straw (1819–1882), US amerikanischer Politiker Jack Straw (* 1946), britischer Politiker der Labour Party Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselb …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • straw|y — «STR ee», adjective. 1. of, containing, or like straw. 2. strewn or thatched with straw …   Useful english dictionary

  • Straw — Straw, v. t. To spread or scatter. See {Strew}, and {Strow}. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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