Thesaurus: straw

Related headwords

Definitions

1. v. t. To spread or scatter. See Strew, and Strow.
2. n. A stalk or stem of certain species of grain, pulse, etc., especially of wheat, rye, oats, barley, more rarely of buckwheat, beans, and pease.
3. n. The gathered and thrashed stalks of certain species of grain, etc.; as, a bundle, or a load, of rye straw.
4. n. Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing; a mere trifle.
5. adj. of a pale yellow color like straw; straw-colored
6. n. plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
7. n. material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
8. n. a variable yellow tint; dull yellow, often diluted with white
9. n. a thin paper or plastic tube used to suck liquids into the mouth
10. v. cover or provide with or as if with straw
11. v. spread by scattering (‘straw’ is archaic)
12. To spread or scatter. See Strew, and Strow. Chaucer. 1. A stalk or stem of certain species of grain, pulse, etc., especially of wheat, rye, oats, barley, more rarely of buckwheat, beans, and pease. 2. The gathered and thrashed stalks of certain species of grain, etc.; as, a bundle, or a load, of rye straw. 3. Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing; a mere trifle. I set not a straw by thy dreamings. Chaucer. Note: Straw is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, straw-built, straw-crowned, straw-roofed, straw- stuffed, and the like. Man of straw, an effigy formed by stuffing the garments of a man with straw; hence, a fictitious person; an irresponsible person; a puppet.set up a straw man; -- used in disputation. Typically, one party accuses an opponent of setting up a straw man, meaning that the opponent is distorting his true opinion in order to make it look absurd. -- Straw bail, worthless bail, as being given by irresponsible persons. [Colloq. U.S.] -- Straw bid, a worthless bid; a bid for a contract which the bidder is unable or unwilling to fulfill. [Colloq. U.S.] -- Straw cat (Zoöl.), the pampas cat. -- Straw color, the color of dry straw, being a delicate yellow. -- Straw drain, a drain filled with straw. -- Straw plait, or Straw plat, a strip formed by plaiting straws, used for making hats, bonnets, etc. -- To be in the straw, to be brought to bed, as a pregnant woman. [Slang]