- [uncountable]
stems of wheat or other grain plants that have been cut and dried. Straw is used for making mats, hats, etc., for packing things to protect them, and as food for animals or for them to sleep on. （收割后干燥的）禾秆，麦秆，稻草 a mattress filled with straw 稻草填充的垫子 a straw hat 草帽
Extra ExamplesTopics Farmingb2The animals sleep on straw. 这些动物睡在稻草上面。 The rat hid in the straw. 那只老鼠藏在稻草里。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- clean
- fresh
- bale
- in (the) straw
- on (the) straw
- [countable]
a single stem or piece of straw 一根禾秆（或麦秆、稻草） - (also drinking straw)
a thin tube of plastic or paper that you drink a liquid through （喝饮料用的）吸管 
She drank her milkshake through a straw. 她用吸管喝奶昔。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- drinking
- bendy
- plastic
- …
- through a straw
Word OriginOld English strēaw, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stroo and German Stroh, also to strew.
Idioms
clutch/grasp at straws
to try all possible means to find a solution or some hope in a difficult or unpleasant situation, even though this seems very unlikely （在危难中）抓救命稻草，不放过任何微小的机会 I know I’m just clutching at straws here, but is it possible that the doctors are wrong? 我知道我只是在抓救命稻草，但医生有可能是错的吗？
draw the short straw (British English)
(North American English get the short end of the stick)
draw straws (for something)
the last/final straw | the straw that breaks the camel’s back
the last in a series of bad events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer 压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草；终于使人不堪忍受的最后一件事（或因素等）
make bricks without straw
- (British English)
to try to work without the necessary material, money, information, etc. 做无米之炊
a straw in the wind
- (British English)
a small sign of what might happen in the future （预示发生某事的）迹象，苗头，征兆