straw

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   of a pale yellow color like straw

   straw-colored

2. 2
   verb

   cover or provide with or as if with straw

   cows were strawed to weather the snowstorm

3. 3
   noun

   Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing.

   to not care a straw

4. 4
   noun

   A straw owner.

   The Bromfield Street offices were housed in a dilapidated but heavily-insured building, owned by a straw for a wealthy downtown real estate developer, surrounded by expensive new commercial developments, and in a city renowned for arson-for-profit.

5. 5
   adj

   Made of straw.

   straw hat

6. 6
   adj

   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.

7. 7
   verb

   To sell straws on the streets in order to cover the giving to the purchaser of things usually banned, such as pornography.

   It was the custom for the disaffected of those days to make known their grievances by distributing papers on doors of public buildings, and even strawing them in the high way, for the benefit of the chance passenger.

8. 8
   noun

   a thin paper or plastic tube used to suck liquids into the mouth

Etymology

From Middle English straw, from Old English strēaw, from Proto-West Germanic *strau, from Proto-Germanic *strawą (“that which is strewn, straw”), from Proto-Indo-European *strew- (“to spread around, strew”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Sträi (“straw”), West Frisian strie (“straw”), Dutch stro (“straw”), German Low German Stroh (“straw”), German Stroh (“straw”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish strå (“straw”), Icelandic strá (“straw”), Walloon strin, Albanian shtrohë (“kennel”).