Meaning & Definition of word "Straw"

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.