straw
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Related to straw: straw man, drinking straw
straw
(strô)n.
1.
a. Stalks of threshed grain, used as bedding and food for animals, for thatching, and for weaving or braiding, as into baskets.
b. A single stalk of threshed grain.
2. Pieces or a piece of natural or artificial strawlike material.
3. Something, such as a hat or basket, made of straw.
4. A slender tube used for sucking up a liquid.
5.
a. Something of minimal value or importance.
b. The least valuable bit; a jot: I don't care a straw what you think.
c. Something with too little substance to provide support in a crisis: Near the end we were grasping at straws.
adj.
Idioms: 1. Of, relating to, or made of straw: a straw mat.
2. Containing or used for straw, as a barn or feeding trough.
3. Of the color of straw; yellowish.
4.
a. Of, relating to, or constituting a straw man.
b. Apparently legitimate but actually intended as a cover for illegal or secret activity: set up a straw company to launder money.
final/last straw
The final annoyance or setback, which even though minor makes one no longer able to endure something.
straw in the wind
A slight hint of something to come.
straw′y adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
straw
(strɔː)n
1. (Agriculture) stalks of threshed grain, esp of wheat, rye, oats, or barley, used in plaiting hats, baskets, etc, or as fodder
2. (as modifier): a straw hat.
3. (Botany) a single dry or ripened stalk, esp of a grass
4. (Cookery) a long thin hollow paper or plastic tube or stem of a plant, used for sucking up liquids into the mouth
5. (usually used with a negative) anything of little value or importance: I wouldn't give a straw for our chances.
6. a measure or remedy that one turns to in desperation (esp in the phrases clutch or grasp at a straw or straws)
7. (Colours)
a. a pale yellow colour
b. (as adjective): straw hair.
8. straw in the wind a hint or indication
9. the last straw a small incident, setback, etc that, coming after others, proves intolerable
adj
chiefly US having little value or substance
[Old English streaw; related to Old Norse strā, Old Frisian strē, Old High German strō; see strew]
ˈstrawˌlike adj
straw
(strɔː)vb
archaic another word for strew
Straw
(strɔː)n
(Biography) 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 and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
straw
(strɔ)n.
1. a single stalk or stem esp. of a cereal grass, as wheat, rye, oats, or barley.
2. a mass of such stalks, esp. after drying and threshing, used as fodder.
3. material made from such stalks and used to fashion hats or baskets.
4. something of negligible value: not to care a straw.
5. a paper, plastic, or glass tube for sucking up a beverage from a container.
7. something made of straw, esp. a hat.
adj. 8. of, pertaining to, or made of straw: a straw hat.
9. of the color of straw; pale yellow.
10. of little value or consequence; worthless.
11. sham; fictitious.
Idioms: 1. catch, clutch, or grasp at a straw or at straws, to pursue even the slightest hope or possibility out of desperation.
2. straw in the wind, a piece of information foreshadowing future events.
[before 950; Middle English; Old English strēaw, c. Old Frisian strē, Old Saxon, Old High German strō, Old Norse strā; akin to strew]
straw′y, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
straw
Past participle: strawed
Gerund: strawing
Imperative |
---|
straw |
straw |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | straw - plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder cushioning, padding - artifact consisting of soft or resilient material used to fill or give shape or protect or add comfort plant fiber, plant fibre - fiber derived from plants |
2. | straw - material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds bran - broken husks of the seeds of cereal grains that are separated from the flour by sifting plant material, plant substance - material derived from plants | |
3. | straw - a variable yellow tint; dull yellow, often diluted with white yellow, yellowness - yellow color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of sunflowers or ripe lemons | |
4. | straw - a thin paper or plastic tube used to suck liquids into the mouth | |
Verb | 1. | straw - cover or provide with or as if with straw; "cows were strawed to weather the snowstorm" cover - provide with a covering or cause to be covered; "cover her face with a handkerchief"; "cover the child with a blanket"; "cover the grave with flowers" |
2. | straw - spread by scattering ("straw" is archaic); "strew toys all over the carpet" bestrew - cover by strewing litter - make a place messy by strewing garbage around spread, distribute - distribute or disperse widely; "The invaders spread their language all over the country" | |
Adj. | 1. | straw - of a pale yellow color like straw; straw-colored chromatic - being or having or characterized by hue |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
slámabrčkoslaměnýstéblo
halmstråsugerør
õlekõrspõhk
olkipillioljenkeltainen
slamaslamka
szalmaszalmaszálszívószál
hálmstráhálmurrör
ストロー麦わら
빨대지푸라기
paskutinis lašasšiaudaišiaudasšiaudelisšiaudinis
salmisalmiņšsalmssalmu-
paie
slamaslamenýslamkasteblo
slamaslamica
слама
halmstråsugrör
ฟางข้าวหลอด
ống hútrơm
straw
[strɔː]A. N
1. (Agr) → paja f
the straw that breaks the camel's back → la gota que colma el vaso
to clutch or grasp at straws → agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo
to draw or get the short straw → ser elegido para hacer algo desagradable
I always draw the short straw → siempre me toca a mí la china
it's the last straw! → ¡es el colmo!, ¡sólo faltaba eso!
it's a straw in the wind → sirve de indicio
the straw that breaks the camel's back → la gota que colma el vaso
to clutch or grasp at straws → agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo
to draw or get the short straw → ser elegido para hacer algo desagradable
I always draw the short straw → siempre me toca a mí la china
it's the last straw! → ¡es el colmo!, ¡sólo faltaba eso!
it's a straw in the wind → sirve de indicio
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
straw
[ˈstrɔː] n
(= single stem) → paille f
that's the last straw! (= too much) → ça, c'est le comble!
to clutch at straws, to grasp at straws → se raccrocher aux branches
that's the last straw! (= too much) → ça, c'est le comble!
to clutch at straws, to grasp at straws → se raccrocher aux branches
(also drinking straw) → paille f
modif [boater, hat, mat] → de paille
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
straw
n
(= stalk) → Strohhalm m; (collectively) → Stroh nt no pl; it’s the last straw, it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back (prov) → das ist der letzte Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen bringt (prov); that’s the last or final straw! (inf) → das ist der Gipfel! (inf); it’s a straw in the wind → das ist ein Vorzeichen; to clutch or grasp at straws → sich an einen Strohhalm klammern; to draw the short straw → den kürzeren ziehen; man of straw → Strohmann m; (in politics) → Marionette f; (= set-up opponent) → Scheingegner(in) m(f) ? drowning
straw
:straw boss
n (US inf) → Pro-forma-Vorgesetzte(r) mf
straw-coloured, (US) straw-colored
adj → strohfarben, strohfarbig; hair → strohblond
straw hat
n → Strohhut m
straw man
straw mattress
n → Strohsack m
straw poll, straw vote
n → Probeabstimmung f; (in election) → Wählerbefragung f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
straw
[strɔː] n → paglia; (drinking straw) → cannucciathat's the last straw! → questa è la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso!
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
straw
(stroː) noun1. (also adjective) (of) the cut stalks of corn etc, having many uses, eg as bedding for cattle etc, making mats and other goods etc. The cows need fresh straw; a straw hat.
2. a single stalk of corn. There's a straw in your hair; Their offer isn't worth a straw!
3. a paper or plastic tube through which to suck a drink into the mouth. He was sipping orange juice through a straw.
the last straw an additional and intolerable circumstance in a disagreeable situation. The hotel was expensive, the food poor, and the bad weather was the last straw.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
straw
→ قَشَّة, مَصَّاصَة brčko, sláma strå, sugerør Stohhalm, Stroh άχυρο, καλαμάκι paja, pajita olki, pilli paille slama, slamka cannuccia, paglia ストロー, 麦わら 빨대, 지푸라기 rietje, stro strå, sugerør słomka canudo, palha солома, соломинка halmstrå, sugrör ฟางข้าว, หลอด pipet, saman ống hút, rơm 吸管, 稻草Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009