Straw
/strɔː/
nounverbA2
Definition
Straw is the dry stalks of cereal plants after the grain and seeds have been removed. People often use straw for animal bedding, making crafts, or as a material for roofs in some houses. The word "straw" also means a small, thin tube used to drink drinks like juice or soda.
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See It in Action
Dry stalks of grain plants after harvest
- •The farmer used straw to cover the ground in the animal barn.
- •Straw is often used to make baskets or hats.
- •The roof of the old house was made of straw.
A thin tube used for drinking liquids
- •She drank the juice through a plastic straw.
- •Please use a straw if you don’t want to spill your drink.
(Verb) To cover or spread with straw
- •They strawed the garden to keep the plants warm.
- •The workers strawed the floor of the barn for the animals.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "straw" like "grass," but dry and yellow after cutting
- ✓Picture dry, thin yellow sticks lying in a farm field after harvesting wheat
- ✓It feels rough and dry, like old plants left in the sun
- ✓Sounds like "straw" → imagine someone sipping juice through a thin tube made from dry grass
- ✓Remember the story of "The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back"—a small piece causing a big effect
- ✓NOT like "hay" (used mainly as animal food), straw is more for bedding or crafts
- ✓NOT like "pipe" (hard and metal), straw is soft, light, and natural
- ✓As a verb, "to straw" means to cover something with straw or spread it over an area
Try Other Words
- •Hay: dried grass used mainly for feeding animals (Use when talking about animal food, not for crafts or roofs)
- •Reed: tall, thin plant used for making mats or roofs (Use when the material is from wetland plants, not grain stalks)
- •Tube: a hollow object for carrying liquids or gases (Use when focusing on the drinking straw as a tool)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "straw" is a simple root word without prefixes or suffixes
- •Etymology: From Old English "streaw," meaning dry stalks of grain plants
- •Historical development: Used since early English to describe dry plant stalks; later also used for drinking tubes
- •Modern usage: Commonly means dry stalks or drinking tubes; also used in idioms like "the last straw"
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think straw has helped people in farming and building homes historically?
•Can you think of any modern uses for straw besides animal bedding or drinking tubes?
Fill in the blanks
1.Farmers use straw to ___ the ground for animal comfort and warmth.
2.When you drink a cold soda, you often use a straw to ___ the liquid easily.
3.Straw is different from hay because hay is mainly used for ___ animals.
4.The old roof was made of straw, which helped keep the house ___ in winter.
5.The phrase "the last straw" means a small problem that causes a ___ reaction.
6.People sometimes make hats or baskets from dry straw because it is ___ and easy to shape.
7.You should not use a plastic straw if you want to help protect the ___ from pollution.