Straw

Pronunciation

• IPA: /strɔː/

Origin

From Old English strēaw, from Proto-Germanic *strawą ‘that which is strewn’. Cognate with Dutch stro, German Stroh, Swedish strå, Albanian strohë ("kennel").

Full definition of straw

Noun

1. (countable) A dried stalk of a cereal plant.
2. (uncountable) Such dried stalks considered collectively.
3. (countable) A drinking straw.
4. a pale, yellowish beige colour, like that of a dried straw.
5. (figurative) Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing.
• XIX c., recorded by Francis James Child, Robin Hood and the Tanner‘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

• strawhead
• strawberry

Adjective

1. Made of straw.straw hat
2. Of a pale, yellowish beige colour, like that of a dried straw.

Derived terms

Anagrams

• swart
• warts