| 释义 |
straw
I. \ˈstrȯ\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English straw, stree, from Old English strēaw, strē; akin to Old High German strō straw, Old Norse strā, Old English strēowian, strewian to strew — more at strew
1.
a. : stalks of grain after threshing usually mixed with leaves and chaff, used as bedding for cattle, for packing, for fodder, in papermaking, or woven, plaited, or braided for various uses (as for a hat)
b. : a natural fiber (as buntal) or an artificial fiber (as nylon) woven, plaited, or braided to serve various uses (as for a mat, hat, bag, or box)
c. : any of various dry or stalky residues of plant growth that are put to practical use (as for bedding or packing) — see pine straw
2. : a stalk or stem of grain (as of wheat, rye, oats, or barley); also : a stalk of buckwheat, beans, or peas
3.
a.
(1) : something of small worth or significance
< grateful for such straws as the garden and the weather — Will Scott >
< another straw toward helping them carry out their project — Robert Grant †1940 >
— usually used in such phrases as care a straw
< didn't care a straw about the case — O.W.Holmes †1935 >
< wasn't worth making a fuss about, because it didn't really matter a straw — Ellen Glasgow >
(2) : something too insubstantial to provide support or help in a desperate situation
< clutches at the straw of falsehood — H.M.Parshley >
< even active unionists tend to grasp at strange straws for support — Bob Senser >
(3) or straw in the wind : a slight fact that is an indication of a coming event
< some of the straws in the wind include an increase in the printing of paper yen — Lindesay Parrott >
b. : chaff 3
< the mass of irrelevant trivialities and repetitions in doubtful taste which form the straw of a considerable part of this book — Books Abroad >
c. : man of straw
4. : a thing made of straw: as
a. obsolete : pipe 1a(1)
b. : straw hat
c. : a prepared tube originally cut from a wheat straw for sucking up a beverage
< the nurse brought him some clear consommé and a bent glass straw — Oakley Hall >
5. : a thing shaped like a straw; especially : a short narrow strip of pastry
< cheese straws >
6. or straw yellow : a pale yellow that is deeper than cream, deeper and slightly greener than ivory, and greener and stronger than leghorn
•
- in the straw
II. transitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English strawen, from straw (I)
1. : to cover (a surface) with or as if with straw
2. : to provide with straw
< steers strawed to weather a blizzard — James Still >
III. adjective
Etymology: straw (I)
1. : made of straw
< straw basket >
< straw seats >
< straw broom >
2. : of, relating to, or used for straw
< straw barn >
3. : of the color of straw
< his straw hair flopped wildly on his forehead — Wirt Williams >
4. : of little or no value : worthless
5. : of, relating to, resembling, or being a man of straw
< a straw structure which bore almost no resemblance to the Greek philosopher's manner of thinking — Martin Gardner >
< purchase any property … either in his own name or by use of a straw party — W.H.Husband & F.R.Anderson >
6. : of, relating to, or concerned with the discovery of preferences by means of a straw vote
< straw polls that seek to sample public opinion — W.E.Binkley & Malcolm Moos >
< the poll … is conducted by seven crews of straw takers — A.J.Liebling >
IV. transitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English strawwen, strawen, from Old English strēawian, strēowian to strew — more at strew
: strew
Synonyms: see strew |