straw

straw — noun

1. the dry, hollow stems of grain plants such as wheat or rice, after the seeds hav

1.nounB1
Definition

the dry, hollow stems of grain plants such as wheat or rice, after the seeds have been removed — used as weaving material for objects like baskets and hats, given to farm animals to eat, or spread as a soft bedding layer for animals to rest on

Example

The farmer spread clean straw across the barn floor for the sheep.

material: spread straw across [surface]

Talia wore a wide hat woven from golden straw to the village market.

woven from straw

Common collocations
  • straw bale
  • straw bedding
  • straw mat
  • straw roof
  • wheat straw
  • rice straw
Synonyms
  • hay

    dried grass cut for animal feed, not the stalks left after grain harvest

  • thatch

    straw or reeds used specifically for roofing, not a general term for the material

Grammar Patterns

made of/from straw

straw + noun (straw hat, straw basket)

a piece/stalk of straw

Usage Note

Uncountable as a material ('the barn is full of straw'), but countable for individual stems ('a few straws were sticking out of the bale').

Common Mistakes

The horse eats straw and grass.' (when you mean dried grass for feeding)
The horse eats hay and grass.
Hay is dried grass used as animal feed; straw is the leftover stalks from grain crops and is less nutritious for animals.

2. a thin hollow tube, often made from plastic or paper, which you place in a bever

2.nounA2
Definition

a thin hollow tube, often made from plastic or paper, which you place in a beverage to draw liquid into your mouth by sucking

Example

Ari sipped his orange juice through a striped paper straw.

drink through a straw

Many restaurants now use paper straws instead of plastic ones to reduce waste.

paper straw / plastic straw

Common collocations
  • plastic straw
  • paper straw
  • metal straw
  • drink through a straw
  • suck through a straw
Synonyms
  • drinking straw

    the full form, less common in everyday speech

  • sipper

    informal term, less common, sometimes used for baby bottles or special lids

Grammar Patterns

drink (something) through a straw

paper/plastic straw

a straw for [drink]

Common Mistakes

I drank juice with a straw.' (grammatically acceptable but less common)
I drank juice through a straw.
The standard preposition is 'through' when describing the method of drinking.

3. a light yellow color that looks like dried straw, often used to describe hair, f

3.nounB1
Definition

a light yellow color that looks like dried straw, often used to describe hair, fabric, or natural materials

Example

Mizuki painted the kitchen walls a warm straw color that made the room feel sunny.

straw color

The old photograph had faded to a pale straw yellow over many years.

straw yellow

Common collocations
  • straw color
  • straw yellow
  • straw blonde
  • straw-colored hair
Synonyms
  • pale yellow

    more general term, less specific than straw

  • wheat

    a similar pale golden color, often used in fashion and design

Grammar Patterns

straw color

straw yellow

a shade of straw

Usage Note

Commonly used in compound forms like 'straw-colored' or 'straw yellow'. Often appears in descriptions of wine, hair, and natural scenery.

Idioms

clutch/grasp at straws

idiom

To try anything to improve a bad situation, even if it probably won't help.

Mia knew the plan was weak, but she was clutching at straws.

Are you just grasping at straws, or do you really think this will work?

draw the short straw

idiom

To be the person who has to do an unpleasant task that no one wants.

Sara drew the short straw and had to work on Saturday.

Who drew the short straw to clean up after the party?

draw straws (for something)

idiom

To decide who will do something by having each person pick a straw, with the shortest one losing.

The kids drew straws to see who would go first.

Let's draw straws for the last piece of cake.

make bricks without straw

idiom

To try to do a job without the necessary materials or information.

The team felt they were making bricks without straw.

Without a budget, we're making bricks without straw.

a straw in the wind

idiom

A small sign that shows what might happen in the future.

The drop in sales was a straw in the wind for the company.

His silence might be a straw in the wind about his feelings.

straw — adjective

Word family

  • straw-colored
    adjectiveB1
  • strawy
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Straw, hay, thatch, and stubble all come from plants but refer to different materials. Straw is the dry stalks left after grain crops like wheat or rice have been harvested — it is used for animal bedding, weaving, and thatching. Hay is grass that has been cut and dried specifically as animal feed; it is more nutritious than straw. Thatch is a roofing material made from dry plants such as straw, reeds, or rushes, layered tightly to keep water out. Stubble is the short, stiff stems that remain standing in a field after the crop has been cut. For example, a farmer might feed hay to cattle, use straw for bedding, thatch a roof with reeds, and leave stubble in the field over winter.

haythatchstubble

Common collocations

Nouns

  • straw hat
  • straw basket
  • straw mat
  • straw roof
  • straw bale
  • straw bedding
  • wheat straw
  • rice straw
  • paper straw
  • plastic straw
  • drinking straw
  • straw color
  • straw yellow

Phrases

Prepositions

  • made of straw
  • made from straw
  • drink through a straw

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'straw' comes from Old English 'streaw', meaning dried stalks of grain. It is related to the verb 'strew' (to spread or scatter), because straw was traditionally spread on floors for insulation or animal bedding. The word traces back through Proto-Germanic '*strawa-' to the Proto-Indo-European root '*ster-' (to spread out). The sense of a drinking tube appeared in the 1800s, originally made from actual rye straw stalks.