man of straw noun

1. A person of no substance (esp financially)
2. One nominally, but not really, responsible
3. A sham opponent or argument set up for the sake of disputation

man of the cloth see man of God above.

man of the match noun

The outstanding player in a sports match (also figurative)

man of the moment noun

The man (most capable of) dealing with the present situation

man of the world noun

A man with experience of the pains and (esp sexual) pleasures of life

man-of-warˈ or man-o'-warˈ noun (pl men-of-warˈ or men-o'-warˈ)

1. A warship
2. A soldier (archaic or facetious)
3. (in full man-of-war bird) the frigate bird
4. (see also Portuguese man-of-war under Portuguese)

manˈ-of-war's-man noun

A man who serves on board a warship

manˈ-orchid noun

An orchid (Aceras anthropophora) whose flowers have a human-like shape

manˈpack noun

A package of supplies or equipment designed to be carried by one person

manˈpower noun

1. The agency or energy of people in doing work
2. The rate at which a person can work
3. Available resources in population or in able-bodied people

Manpower Services Commission noun

The former name for the Training Agency (see under train¹)

manˈ-queller noun (Shakespeare)

A man-killer, a murderer

manˈrider or manriding train noun

The formal name for a paddy train (qv)

manˈriding adjective

Used of equipment on oil rigs that is used by personnel and is built to a higher standard of safety than material-handling systems

manˈrope noun (nautical)

A rope railing on a gangway or ladder

manˈ-servant noun (pl menˈ-servants)

A male servant

manˈshift noun

The work done by one person in one shift or work period

manˈ-size or manˈ-sized adjective

1. Suitable for, or requiring, a man
2. Very big (informal)

manˈslaughter noun

1. The killing of a man
2. Unlawful homicide without malice aforethought (law)

manˈ-slayer noun

A person who kills a man

manˈ-stealer noun

A person who steals people, esp to make slaves of them

manˈtrap noun

1. A trap for catching trespassers
2. Any source of potential danger
3. A woman who takes a mischievous pleasure in attracting and acquiring men (informal)

manˈ-watching noun

The study of body language

manˈ-week or manˈ-year noun (pl manˈ-weeks or manˈ-years)

A week's or year's work by one person

menˈfolk or menˈfolks plural noun

Male people, esp a woman's male relatives

men's movement noun

A movement begun in the USA in opposition to the women's movement (qv under woman), aiming to uphold the traditional role of men in society

mensˈwear noun

Clothing for men

as one man

1. All together
2. Unanimously

be one's own man

To be independent, not answerable to anyone else

be someone's man

To be exactly the person someone is seeking for a particular purpose

make a man of

To help a young man to acquire the characteristics associated with a mature adult

man alive

An exclamation of surprise

man and boy

From childhood to adulthood

man to man

1. One man to another as individuals in fight or talk
2. Frank(ly) and confidential(ly)

man up

(informal) to accept responsibility in the manner of a mature person

men in grey suits

Unseen establishment figures holding the ultimate power in an organization, political party, etc

old man of the sea see under old

our man in…

A company or government representative in, or journalist covering, a particular area

separate (or sort out) the men from the boys

To serve as a test of ability, calibre, courage, etc

the Man of Sin (religion)

The Antichrist

to a man

Without exception

straw¹ /strö/

noun

1. The stalk of corn
2. Dried stalks, etc of corn, or of peas or buckwheat, etc used as fodder, bedding, packing, for making hats, etc
3. A narrow tube for sucking up a beverage
4. A straw hat (old)
5. A trifle, a whit

adjective

1. Of straw
2. Of the colour of straw

strawˈen adjective (archaic)

Of straw

strawˈless adjective

strawˈlike adjective

strawˈy adjective

Of or like straw

strawˈboard noun

A thick cardboard, made of straw

straw boss noun (US)

An assistant, temporary, or unofficial foreman

strawˈ-breadth noun

The breadth of a straw

strawˈ-colour noun and adjective

Delicate brownish-yellow

strawˈ-coloured adjective

strawˈ-cutter noun

An instrument for cutting straw

strawˈflower or straw flower noun

Any Australian composite flowering plant of the genus Helichrysum, esp H. bracteatum (or macranthum) with everlasting flowers in a wide variety of colours

strawˈ-hat adjective (US)

Of or relating to summer theatre

straw man noun

A man of straw (see under man¹)

strawˈ-plait noun

Plaited straw for hats

straw poll or straw vote noun

An unofficial vote taken to get some idea of the general trend of opinion

strawˈ-stem noun

1. The fine stem of a wineglass pulled out from the material of the bowl, instead of being attached separately
2. A wineglass having such a stem

strawˈweight same as mini flyweight (see flyweight under fly).

straw wine noun

A sweet wine obtained from grapes dried on straw

strawˈ-work noun

Work done in plaited straw

strawˈworm noun

Another name for a caddis fly larva

catch, clutch or grasp at straws or at a straw

To resort to an inadequate remedy in desperation

draw the short straw

To be entrusted with an unpleasant task (as a result of, or as if by, drawing straws)

last straw see under last¹

man of straw see under man¹

straw in the wind

A sign of possible future developments