%straw%

n. 1. An effigy stuffed with straw; a scarecrow; hence, a man without property or influence. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of a set of straws of strips of ivory, bone, wood, etc., for playing a child's game, the jackstraws being thrown confusedly together on a table, to be gathered up singly by a hooked instrument, without touching or disturbing the rest of the pile. See Spilikin. A modern variation, called pick-up-sticks (U.S. 1940+), is played with thin wooden sticks of different colors, each color having different values for scoring; the sticks are dislodged from the pile with the hand or with one of the sticks. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. The game played with jackstraws{ 2 }, which resembles pick-up-sticks. [ PJC ]

(Bot.) The common bedstraw (Galium verum); also, a slender-leaved East Indian shrub (Pharnaceum Mollugo), with white flowers in umbels. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To overstrew. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To spread or scatter. See Strew, and Strow. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. straw, stre, stree, AS. streáw, from the root of E. strew; akin to OFries. strē, D. stroo, G. stroh, OHG. strō, Icel. strā, Dan. straa, Sw. strå. √166. See Strew. ] 1. A stalk or stem of certain species of grain, pulse, etc., especially of wheat, rye, oats, barley, more rarely of buckwheat, beans, and pease. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The gathered and thrashed stalks of certain species of grain, etc.; as, a bundle, or a load, of rye straw. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing; a mere trifle. [ 1913 Webster ]

I set not a straw by thy dreamings. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Straw is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, straw-built, straw-crowned, straw-roofed, straw-stuffed, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Man of straw, an effigy formed by stuffing the garments of a man with straw; hence, a fictitious person; an irresponsible person; a puppet. --
Straw bail, worthless bail, as being given by irresponsible persons. [ Colloq. U.S. ] --
Straw bid, a worthless bid; a bid for a contract which the bidder is unable or unwilling to fulfill. [ Colloq. U.S. ] --
Straw cat (Zool.), the pampas cat. --
Straw color, the color of dry straw, being a delicate yellow. --
Straw drain, a drain filled with straw. --
Straw plait, or
Straw plat, a strip formed by plaiting straws, used for making hats, bonnets, etc. --
To be in the straw, to be brought to bed, as a pregnant woman. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. streáwberige; streáw straw + berie berry; perhaps from the resemblance of the runners of the plant to straws. ] (Bot.) A fragrant edible berry, of a delicious taste and commonly of a red color, the fruit of a plant of the genus Fragaria, of which there are many varieties. Also, the plant bearing the fruit. The common American strawberry is Fragaria virginiana; the European, Fragaria vesca. There are also other less common species. [ 1913 Webster ]

Strawberry bass. (Zool.) See Calico bass, under Calico. --
Strawberry blite. (Bot.) See under Blite. --
Strawberry borer (Zool.), any one of several species of insects whose larvae burrow in the crown or roots of the strawberry vine. Especially: (a) The root borer (Anarsia lineatella), a very small dark gray moth whose larvae burrow both in the larger roots and crown, often doing great damage. (b) The crown borer (Tyloderma fragariae), a small brown weevil whose larva burrows in the crown and kills the plant. --
Strawberry bush (Bot.), an American shrub (Euonymus Americanus), a kind of spindle tree having crimson pods and the seeds covered with a scarlet aril. --
Strawberry crab (Zool.), a small European spider crab (Eurynome aspera); -- so called because the back is covered with pink tubercles. --
Strawberry fish (Zool.), the amadavat. --
Strawberry geranium (Bot.), a kind of saxifrage (Saxifraga sarmentosa) having reniform leaves, and producing long runners like those of the strawberry. --
Strawberry leaf. (a) The leaf of the strawberry. (b) The symbol of the rank or estate of a duke, because the ducal coronet is twined with strawberry leaves. “The strawberry leaves on her chariot panels are engraved on her ladyship's heart.” Thackeray. --
Strawberry-leaf roller (Zool.), any one of several species of moths whose larvae roll up, and feed upon, the leaves of the strawberry vine; especially, Phoxopteris fragariae, and Eccopsis permundana. --
Strawberry moth (Zool.), any one of several species of moth whose larvae feed on the strawberry vines; as: (a) The smeared dagger (Apatela oblinita), whose large hairy larva is velvety black with two rows of bright yellow spots on each side. (b) A geometrid (Angerona crocataria) which is yellow with dusky spots on the wings. Called also currant moth. --
Strawberry pear (Bot.), the red ovoid fruit of a West Indian plant of the genus Cereus (Cereus triangularia). It has a sweetish flavor, and is slightly acid, pleasant, and cooling. Also, the plant bearing the fruit. --
Strawberry sawfly (Zool.), a small black sawfly (Emphytus maculatus) whose larva eats the leaves of the strawberry vine. --
Strawberry tomato. (Bot.) See Alkekengi. --
Strawberry tree. (Bot.) See Arbutus. --
Strawberry vine (Bot.), the plant which yields the strawberry. --
Strawberry worm (Zool.), the larva of any moth which feeds on the strawberry vine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Pasteboard made of pulp of straw. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Being of a straw color. See Straw color, under Straw, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An instrument to cut straw for fodder. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Straw. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A caddice worm. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to straw; made of, or resembling, straw. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]