What does straw mean?
Straw most commonly refers to the dried stems of cereal plants such as wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Traditionally, people have used it as animal fodder and as a material for weaving hats, baskets, and other objects. In modern everyday life, “straw” often means the thin tube through which a drink is sucked. The word also has figurative uses: a “straw in the wind” is a small sign suggesting that a larger change may be happening, while “the last straw” is the final problem that causes someone to lose patience. Straw is therefore both a physical agricultural product and a useful source of traditional imagery, especially when it represents smallness, vulnerability, or an approaching limit.
nounA thin, dried stalk of a cereal plant, especially wheat, rye, oats, or barley, used as fodder or as a material for making things such as hats and baskets. By extension, it can mean a narrow tube used for drinking or a very small amount of something.
- A dried stalk of a cereal plant, especially one used as fodder.
- A narrow tube, usually made of plastic or paper, used for drinking.
- A very small or insignificant amount of something.
- A minor sign or indication of a larger trend or development.
"She sipped her juice through a straw while reading the newspaper."
"The farmer tied the bundles of straw together and stored them in the barn."
"He paid two dollars for the coffee and refused even a straw of extra spending."
"The early results were only a straw in the wind, but they suggested the policy might work."
The plural is used for individual stalks, drinking tubes, or multiple small amounts or signs.
"She tied the straws together in bundles before taking them to the barn."
A straw can be a simple drinking tube, but in “the last straw,” it becomes a vivid symbol of the final thing that pushes someone past their limit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does straw come from?
The word descends from Old English stræaw, meaning a stalk of grain or a dried plant stem. It continued into Middle English and developed its modern range of meanings, including the drinking tube and figurative expressions. The compound strawberry also contains the historical word, referring to the small runners or “straws” on which the plant bears its fruit.
Related word forms
How straw is actually used
The word is common in both formal and informal English. The phrase “a straw in the wind” is somewhat figurative and literary, while “the last straw” is widely understood as the final event in a series of difficulties. In American English, the drinking tube is often simply called a straw; British English also commonly uses “straw” for this object.