straw
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++straw /strɔː $ strɒː/ ●●○ S3 noun 
1 a) [uncountable]HBPTA the dried stems of wheat or similar plants that animals sleep on, and that are used for making things such as baskets, hats etc 〔干的〕麦秆，稻草，禾秆 → hay a straw hat 草帽 b) [countable]HBP a single dried stem of straw 〔单根的〕麦秆，稻草秆2 
[countable]DFD a thin tube of paper or plastic for sucking up liquid from a bottle or a cup 〔喝饮料用的〕吸管 She sipped her lemonade through a straw. 她用吸管吸着柠檬水。3 the last straw (also the straw that breaks the camel’s back)LAST the last problem in a series of problems that finally makes you give up, get angry etc 压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草，〔一系列问题中〕最终使人无法承受的事，终于使人不堪重负的因素 Making me work late on Friday was the last straw. 要我周五加班到很晚终于让我不堪忍受了。4. be clutching/grasping at straws to be trying everything you can to succeed, even though the things you are doing are not likely to help or work 〔在危难中〕抓救命稻草，不放过任何微小的机会5 straw in the wind British EnglishPREDICT a sign of what might happen in the future 〔未来事态的〕迹象，征兆，苗头 There have been a few straws in the wind suggesting things might be getting a little better. 已经有些迹象表明情况可能会稍稍好转。6. straw man American EnglishBEAT/DEFEAT a weak opponent or imaginary argument that can easily be defeated 稻草人；不堪一击的对手；不值一驳的虚妄论点 → draw the short straw at draw1(29)
1 a) [uncountable]HBPTA the dried stems of wheat or similar plants that animals sleep on, and that are used for making things such as baskets, hats etc 〔干的〕麦秆，稻草，禾秆 → hay a straw hat 草帽 b) [countable]HBP a single dried stem of straw 〔单根的〕麦秆，稻草秆2 [countable]DFD a thin tube of paper or plastic for sucking up liquid from a bottle or a cup 〔喝饮料用的〕吸管 She sipped her lemonade through a straw. 她用吸管吸着柠檬水。3 the last straw (also the straw that breaks the camel’s back)LAST the last problem in a series of problems that finally makes you give up, get angry etc 压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草，〔一系列问题中〕最终使人无法承受的事，终于使人不堪重负的因素 Making me work late on Friday was the last straw. 要我周五加班到很晚终于让我不堪忍受了。4. be clutching/grasping at straws to be trying everything you can to succeed, even though the things you are doing are not likely to help or work 〔在危难中〕抓救命稻草，不放过任何微小的机会5 straw in the wind British EnglishPREDICT a sign of what might happen in the future 〔未来事态的〕迹象，征兆，苗头 There have been a few straws in the wind suggesting things might be getting a little better. 已经有些迹象表明情况可能会稍稍好转。6. straw man American EnglishBEAT/DEFEAT a weak opponent or imaginary argument that can easily be defeated 稻草人；不堪一击的对手；不值一驳的虚妄论点 → draw the short straw at draw1(29)Examples from the Corpus
straw• Have her seal a straw in another bag in the same way you did the first one.• It is looking at using other products, such as straw, to help make Yellow Page directories.• A regular item was the purchase of carrots, straw, oats etc. for the animals.• A piece of straw drifted to the ground.• The boats are made mostly of rice straw, woven and bound together.• At the point where the air and water meet, the straw appears to bend.• If you use straw as bedding for farm animals, generally speaking you improve the welfare of those animals.• They include using straw to make compost, paper ... and even chocolate cake.Origin straw Old English streawstraw nounChinese
or dried Corpus wheat similar of stems the
straw
straw S3 /strɔː $ strɒː/
noun
1.
a. [uncountable] the dried stems of wheat or similar plants that animals sleep on, and that are used for making things such as baskets, hats etc ⇨ hay:
a straw hat
b. [countable] a single dried stem of straw
2.
[countable] a thin tube of paper or plastic for sucking up liquid from a bottle or a cup:
She sipped her lemonade through a straw.
3. the last straw (also the straw that breaks the camel’s back) the last problem in a series of problems that finally makes you give up, get angry etc:
Making me work late on Friday was the last straw.
4. be clutching/grasping at straws to be trying everything you can to succeed, even though the things you are doing are not likely to help or work
5. straw in the wind British English a sign of what might happen in the future:
There have been a few straws in the wind suggesting things might be getting a little better.
6. straw man American English a weak opponent or imaginary argument that can easily be defeated
⇨ draw the short straw at draw1(29)
straw S3 /strɔː $ strɒː/
noun Language: Old English
Origin: streaw
Origin: streaw
1.
a. [uncountable] the dried stems of wheat or similar plants that animals sleep on, and that are used for making things such as baskets, hats etc ⇨ hay:
b. [countable] a single dried stem of straw
2.
[countable] a thin tube of paper or plastic for sucking up liquid from a bottle or a cup:
3. the last straw (also the straw that breaks the camel’s back) the last problem in a series of problems that finally makes you give up, get angry etc:
4. be clutching/grasping at straws to be trying everything you can to succeed, even though the things you are doing are not likely to help or work
5. straw in the wind British English a sign of what might happen in the future:
6. straw man American English a weak opponent or imaginary argument that can easily be defeated
⇨ draw the short straw at draw1(29)
