straw

Etymology

From Middle English strawen, from Old English strēaw, from Proto-Germanic *strawą (“that which is strewn”). Cognate with Dutch stro, Walloon strin, German Stroh, Norwegian and Swedish strå, Albanian strohë (“kennel”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈstɹɔː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈstɹɔ/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈstɹɑ/

• Audio (US)

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Noun

straw (countable and uncountable, plural straws)

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.

   straw colour:  

5. (figuratively) Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing.
   • 1889, Robin Hood and the Tanner, Francis James Child (editor), The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 3, page 138:

     ‘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, Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque:

     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.

Adjective

straw (not comparable)

1. Made of straw.

   straw hat

2. Of a pale, yellowish beige colour, like that of a dried straw.
3. (figuratively) Imaginary, but presented as real.

   A straw enemy built up in the media to seem like a real threat, which then collapses like a balloon.

Derived terms

See also

Anagrams

• Swart, swart, warts, wrats