straw
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.
a straw hat.
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.
Idioms about straw
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
1Other words from straw
- strawless, adjective
- strawlike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use straw in a sentence
After that, who knows how many innocent straws of hay will start to look like needles under the gaze of unseen algorithms.
The NSA Can ‘Collect-it-All,’ But What Will It Do With Our Data Next? | Joshua Kopstein | May 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTObjects included “speaker wire, an AAA battery, open safety pins, a plastic cup, straws, a marble, and a cotton-tipped swab.”
Sounding Takes Off, but Injuries (Fork in the Penis!) Are Inevitable | Kent Sepkowitz | August 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIn addition, risks for hepatitis C include sharing straws (or rolled dollar bills) to snort cocaine or receiving a tattoo.
Don’t Blame Spider Bite for Felling Slayer Guitarist Jeff Hanneman | Kent Sepkowitz | May 5, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHi-tech straws can detect the presence of date rape drugs in drinks.
Can a Wristwatch Really Cure India’s Rape Problem? | Nina Strochlic | February 24, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTYou get the sense that Raul [Castro] is grasping at straws, one step forward, probably two back.
Cuba’s Leaders Talk of Reform, but It Doesn’t Add Up to Much | Mac Margolis | October 27, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The straws, stems, and leaves contain it in comparatively small quantity, but in the seeds of all plants it is very abundant.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas AndersonApathy and indifference flared up like straws in a sudden flame of passion.
The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil Fenollosa"He doesn't care two straws about her," Collingwood replied quite definitely.
A Butterfly on the Wheel | Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger GullAll but three of the dozen trees which had been felled across it at various points were carried away like straws.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail | Arthur R. ThompsonNone of those important commodities,—merely straws that may or may not show the direction of the wind.
In the Onyx Lobby | Carolyn Wells
British Dictionary definitions for straw (1 of 3)
/ (strɔː) /
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 importance: I 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
mainly US having little value or substance
Origin of straw
1- See also man of straw
Derived forms of straw
- strawlike, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for straw (2 of 3)
/ (strɔː) /
archaic another word for strew
British Dictionary definitions for Straw (3 of 3)
/ (strɔː) /
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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