straw

/strɔ:/
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straw

A child drinks juice through a plastic straw.

Definition

  1. Noun:

    • A dried stalk of a cereal plant: The dry, hollow stem of a grain plant like wheat, barley, or rice, after the grain has been removed.
    • A thin tube for drinking: A slender tube, typically made of plastic or paper, used to suck a beverage from a container.
    • A pale yellow color: A light, yellowish color resembling that of dried straw.
    • Insignificant thing: Something of very little value or importance.

  2. Adjective:

    • Made of straw: Constructed from the dried stalks of grain plants.
    • Straw-colored: Having a pale yellow color, like that of dried straw.

  3. Verb:

    • To scatter loosely: (Archaic) To spread or scatter something loosely over a surface.
    • To cover or provide with straw: To spread straw over a surface, such as a floor or animal bedding.
Examples of Usage

  • Noun:

    • The farmer gathered the straw after the harvest to use as animal bedding.
    • She sipped her juice through a plastic straw.
    • The paint was a light straw yellow.
    • His promise wasn't worth a straw.

  • Adjective:

    • She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat to the beach.
    • The walls were painted a straw color.

  • Verb:

    • (Archaic) "Straw toys all over the carpet."
    • The farmer strawed the floor of the stable for the horses.
Advanced Usage

  • "The last/final straw": The last in a series of annoyances or problems that makes a situation unbearable.

    • When he forgot our anniversary, that was the last straw.

  • "A straw in the wind": A small sign that indicates a possible future trend or event.

    • The early poll results were just a straw in the wind, but they hinted at a major shift in public opinion.

  • "Man/woman of straw": A person who is weak, ineffective, or set up to take blame; a front or puppet.

    • The CEO was merely a man of straw; the real power lay with the board.

  • "To grasp/clutch at straws": To resort to a desperate and unlikely solution when in a difficult situation.

    • Asking him for help is just grasping at straws; he can't fix this.
Variants and Related Words
  • Strawy (adjective): Resembling or containing straw.
  • Strawboard (noun): A coarse cardboard made from straw pulp.
  • Straw vote/poll (noun): An unofficial ballot or poll to gauge general opinion.
Synonyms
  • Noun (stalk): chaff, husk, stubble.
  • Noun (tube): drinking tube, siphon.
  • Adjective (color): yellowish, flaxen, beige.
  • Verb (scatter): strew, sprinkle, spread.
Related Phrases

  • To make bricks without straw: To attempt to do a task without the necessary materials or resources.

    • Asking us to write the report without the data is like making bricks without straw.

  • A drowning man will clutch at a straw: A proverb meaning a person in desperate trouble will try anything, even if it is unlikely to help.

straw

A child drinks juice through a plastic straw.

Adjective
  1. of a pale yellow color like straw; straw-colored
Noun
  1. a thin paper or plastic tube used to suck liquids into the mouth
  2. a variable yellow tint; dull yellow, often diluted with white
  3. material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
  4. plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
Verb
  1. spread by scattering ("straw" is archaic)
    • strew toys all over the carpet
  2. cover or provide with or as if with straw
    • cows were strawed to weather the snowstorm

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