Straw1, n.
n. [A-S. straw, streaw, streow, strewu, streu, streá, from the root of strew; O. Sax. stro, O. Fries. stre, D. stroo, Icel. strá, Dan. straa, Sw. strå, O. H. Ger. strao, strô, N. H. Ger. stroh. Cf. Lat. stramen, stramentum, straw, from sternere, stratum, to spread, strew.]
Sense 1. The stalk or stem of certain species of grain, pulse, &c., chiefly of wheat, rye, oats, barley, more rarely of buckwheat, and peas.
☞ When used of single stalks, it admits of a plural.
Sense 2. The stalks of certain species of grain when cut, and after being thrashed; as, a bundle, or a load, of straw.
☞ In this sense, the word admits not the plural number.
Sense 3. Any thing proverbially worthless; the least possible thing.
Mine by military law, Of which I will not bate one straw. Hudibras.
☞ Straw is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, straw-built, straw-colored, straw-crowned, straw-roofed, straw-stuffed, and the like.
Man of straw, an image of straw, &c., resembling a man; hence, an imaginary person; as, to contend with a man of straw. — Straw bail, worthless bail, as being given by irresponsible persons. — To be in the straw, to be brought to bed, as a pregnant woman, beds having been formerly made of, or stuffed with, straw.