straw: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral. Common in everyday, agricultural, and idiomatic contexts.
Quick answer
What does “straw” mean?
The dry, hollow stems of cereal plants like wheat or barley, used historically for animal bedding, packing, or making objects.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The dry, hollow stems of cereal plants like wheat or barley, used historically for animal bedding, packing, or making objects.
A single such stem; a thin tube for drinking; something of little value or substance; the final event in a series that causes a situation to become intolerable.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. 'Drinking straw' is universal. 'Straw poll' (informal survey) is more common in US political contexts.
Connotations
UK: Strong pastoral/agricultural associations. US: Slightly stronger association with disposable drinkware and informal polling.
Frequency
Similar frequency, though the idiom 'the last straw' is extremely common in both.
Grammar
How to Use “straw” in a Sentence
suck [drink] through a strawbe the last strawclutch at strawsa straw in the windVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “straw” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- He wore a traditional straw boater to the summer fair.
- The scarecrow's straw hat was blowing in the wind.
American English
- She bought a straw purse for her beach vacation.
- The decor featured straw placemats for a rustic feel.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically in 'the last straw' to describe a final, breaking-point demand or event.
Academic
Appears in historical/agricultural texts; 'straw poll' in social sciences.
Everyday
Common for drinks, gardening mulch, and describing trivialities.
Technical
In agriculture, refers to specific crop residue; in engineering, as a lightweight filler material.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “straw”
- Using 'straw' as a synonym for 'hay'.
- Saying 'a last straw' instead of the fixed phrase 'the last straw'.
- Misspelling as 'strow'.
- Incorrect plural: 'straws' for the material (uncountable).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is both. Uncountable when referring to the material (a pile of straw). Countable when referring to individual stems or drinking tubes (three straws).
Straw is the dry, hollow stems of grain plants (wheat, barley) after the grain is removed. It is golden, hollow, and used for bedding, etc. Hay is dried grass or legumes (alfalfa) used as animal fodder. It is greenish and nutritious.
It is a shortening of the proverb 'It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back', indicating a small addition to a load that causes a final collapse, used metaphorically for a final, intolerable event.
No, 'straw' is not used as a standard verb in modern English. The action is 'to strew' (scatter) or 'to use a straw'.
The dry, hollow stems of cereal plants like wheat or barley, used historically for animal bedding, packing, or making objects.
Straw is usually neutral. common in everyday, agricultural, and idiomatic contexts. in register.
Straw: in British English it is pronounced /strɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /strɔː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the last straw”
- “clutch/grasp at straws”
- “a straw in the wind”
- “a man of straw”
- “make bricks without straw”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Straw is what you DRAW a drink through (STRAW). It's also what a SCARECROW wears.
Conceptual Metaphor
INSIGNIFICANCE/FRAGILITY IS STRAW (e.g., 'clutch at straws', 'man of straw').
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'clutch at straws' mean?