Reading Theme:
Straw Definition, Uses & Common Idioms Explained (3 meaning)
Meaning 1：dried stalks of grain (straw)
straw
/strɔː/
n.
The dry, yellow stems of plants like wheat or rice, left after the grain is removed.
dried stalks of grain
➕
/draɪd stɔːks əv ɡreɪn/
n.
Dried stems of cereal plants like wheat or rice, often used for animal bedding, thatching, or crafts.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old English 'streaw', related to German 'Stroh', meaning dried stalks of grain.
💡 Mnemonic
Picture a camel loaded with problems; the final straw (lightweight) breaks its back - unforgettable!
📖 Example
After the harvest, the children played in the fields, jumping into big piles of golden straw.
After the harvest, the children played in the fields, jumping into big piles of golden straw.
🔗 Collocations
straw bale – A large bundle of compressed straw.
straw hat – A hat made of woven straw.
straw mulch – Straw used to cover soil to retain moisture.
🔄 Synonyms
🌱 Derivatives
straw-colored (adj.) – Pale yellow like straw.
straw man (n.) – A weak argument set up to be easily refuted.
📖 Cultural Story
Etymology: from Proto-Germanic *strawą 'that which is strewn'. The idiom 'the last straw' originates from the 17th-century proverb 'the last straw breaks the camel's back'.
Meaning 2：drinking tube (straw)
straw
/strɔː/
n.
A thin tube made of plastic or paper, used for drinking by sucking liquid from a cup or box.
drinking tube
➕
/ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ tjuːb/
n.
A thin hollow tube used for sucking a beverage from a container.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
To protect her teeth, she always drinks juice through a straw.
To protect her teeth, she always drinks juice through a straw.
🔗 Collocations
plastic straw – A straw made of plastic, commonly used but environmentally controversial.
paper straw – A biodegradable straw made from paper.
drinking straw – Another term for a straw used for drinking.
🔄 Synonyms
🌱 Derivatives
strawless (adj.) – Without a straw, as in a strawless lid.
straw-holder (n.) – A device that holds a straw in place.
Meaning 3：the last straw (straw)
straw
/strɔː/
n.
A metaphor meaning the final small problem or event that makes a situation unbearable, after a series of difficulties.
the last straw
➕
/ðə lɑːst strɔː/
n.
A small problem or annoyance that, when added to a series of other problems, makes the situation unbearable.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
Forgetting his keys was the last straw; after a long day of problems, he finally sat down and cried.
Forgetting his keys was the last straw; after a long day of problems, he finally sat down and cried.
🔗 Collocations
the last straw – The final event that makes a situation intolerable.
a straw in the wind – A small sign of something that may happen in the future.
straw man – A weak or imaginary argument set up to be easily refuted.
🔄 Synonyms
breaking point (n.) – The point at which patience or endurance runs out.
final blow (n.) – The last in a series of setbacks that causes failure.
tipping point (n.) – The critical point where a series of small changes becomes significant.
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser