Meaning & Definition of word "Straw"
to
Straw
/strɔː/
noun:
- 1. A thin tube made of plastic or other material used for sucking liquid from a container.
- Example: She sipped her drink through a colorful straw.
- 2. Dried stalks of grain, such as wheat or rice, left after the grain has been harvested.
- Example: They used straw for bedding in the barn.
- 3. A term used to describe something insubstantial or lacking strength.
- Example: The argument was just a straw, easily blown away by logic.
verb:
- 1. To draw liquid through a straw or to convey something trivial.
- Example: He strawed the drink, trying to consume it as quickly as possible.
Etymology
Old English streaw, of Germanic origin.
Common Phrases and Expressions
grasping at straws:
To be in a hopeless situation and trying anything to make it better.
the last straw:
The final problem in a series of problems that causes a situation to become unbearable.
Related Words
hay:
Dried grass or other plants, used as fodder.
reed:
A tall, slender-leaved plant of the grass family, often found by water.
Slang Meanings of straw
Meaning: To 'straw' someone means to trick them or use them as a ploy.
Example Sentence: He was just a straw in their scheme.
Meaning: Referring to a person who is flimsy or lacking in substance.
Example Sentence: Don’t be a straw; stand firm in your beliefs.