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straw - What does it mean?

Definition of 'straw'

English

Noun

  • (countable) A dried stalk of a cereal plant.
  • (uncountable) Such dried stalks considered collectively.
  • (countable) A drinking straw.
  • a pale, yellowish beige colour, like that of a dried straw.
  • (figurative) Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing.
  • *XIX c. , recorded by Francis James Child,
  • *:‘For thy sword and thy bow I care not a straw ,
  • *:Nor all thine arrows to boot;
  • *:If I get a knop upon thy bare scop,
  • *:Thou canst as well shite as shoote.’
  • *1857 , Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers :
  • *:He also decided, which was more to his purpose, that Eleanor did not care a straw for him, and that very probably she did care a straw for his rival.
  • *1881 , :
  • *:To be deeply interested in the accidents of our existence, to enjoy keenly the mixed texture of human experience, rather leads a man to disregard precautions, and risk his neck against a straw .

    • Derived terms

    * * strawberry

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Made of straw.
    • straw hat
  • Of a pale, yellowish beige colour, like that of a dried straw.

    • Derived terms

    * cheese straw * drinking straw * draw the short straw * grasp at straws * jackstraw * the last straw * the final straw * make bricks without straw * man of straw (rel-mid3) * pine straw * silly straw * straw boss * straw buyer * straw hat * straw in the wind * straw man * straw mushroom * straw poll (rel-mid3) * the straw that broke the camel's back * straw that stirs the drink * straw vote * straw wine * strawboard * straw-coloured * strawflower * strawworm * windlestraw (rel-bottom)

    See also

    (top3) * balibuntal * buntal * corn dolly * etiolated * fescue * huarache (mid3) * leghorn * paillasse * paillette * pallet * parabuntal * rick (mid3) * sacaton * skep * stipule * stubble * zori * (bottom)

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    Similar to 'straw'

    strew, strow