straw

B1 Topic:Plants & Agriculture

Also spelled stror

US /stɹɔ/ UK /stɹɔː/ See IPA manual

Freq #6119

Meanings

1

noun
The dry, yellow stems of cut grain plants like wheat.

The farmer spread fresh straw on the floor of the barn.
2

noun
A thin tube used for drinking liquids.

She sipped her milkshake through a paper straw.
3

adj
Made of straw.

He wore a straw hat to keep the sun off his face.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a thin tube used for... drinking straw

Word family

Forms strawsstrawy

Derived forms bang-strawbedstrawbroomstrawdrinking-strawjackstrawneststrawoatstrawstraw-bedstraw-bottomedstraw-clutchingstraw-clutchinglystraw-colored

Related forms balibuntalbuntaletiolatedfescuehuaracheleghornpaillassepaillettepalletparabuntalricksacaton

Appears in

Phrases (1)

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straw mushroom
an edible mushroom commonly cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions

Noun + noun

Idioms (5)

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draw the short straw
to be selected, often by chance, for an unwanted task or outcome
grasp at straws
to try desperate, unlikely measures when things are going badly
the last straw
The final small problem that makes a situation no longer tolerable.
the straw that broke the camel's back
the final small addition that makes a situation unbearable
straw man
a weak, exaggerated version of an opponent's argument set up to be easily knocked down

Proverbs (3)

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Simplified etymology

Straw is inherited from Old English and is related to the Old English verb strew. Both words share an ancient ancestor with Latin sternere, “to lay flat.”

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”).

straw Middle English strēaw Old English *strau Proto-West Germanic *strawą Proto-Germanic *strew- Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Plants & Agriculture

External links

# straw

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /stɹɔ/
**IPA (UK):** /stɹɔː/
**Frequency rank:** 6119

## Meanings
1. The dry, yellow stems of cut grain plants like wheat.
2. A thin tube used for drinking liquids.
3. Made of straw.

## Examples
- The farmer spread fresh straw on the floor of the barn.
- She sipped her milkshake through a paper straw.
- He wore a straw hat to keep the sun off his face.

## Derived Forms
- bang-straw
- bedstraw
- broomstraw
- drinking-straw
- jackstraw
- neststraw
- oatstraw
- straw-bed
- straw-bottomed
- straw-clutching
- straw-clutchingly
- straw-colored

## Related Forms
- balibuntal
- buntal
- etiolated
- fescue
- huarache
- leghorn
- paillasse
- paillette
- pallet
- parabuntal
- rick
- sacaton

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: straw
- Root: strēaw
- Root: *strau
- Root: *strawą
- Root: *strew-

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Straw is 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”).

## Topics
- Plants & Agriculture

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straw

Meanings

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Appears in

Phrases (1)

Idioms (5)

Proverbs (3)

Simplified etymology

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