straw
UK [strɔ:] US [strɑ:] noun
DRIED STEMS 干秆
ADVANCED uncountable
■the dried yellow stems of crops such as wheat , used as food for animals or as a layer on the ground for animals to lie on, and for making traditional objects 禾秆；麦秆；稻草•a bale of straw一捆稻草 •a straw basket/hat草编篮／草帽 •straw -coloured hair浅黄色的头发
UK [strɔ:] US [strɑ:] noun
TUBE 管
countable
■a thin tube made of plastic or waterproof paper that is used to suck liquid into the mouth 吸管•Why don't you drink your milkshake through a straw?你为甚么不用吸管喝奶昔？
UK [strɔ:] US [strɑ:] noun
clutch/grasp at straws
■to be willing to try anything to improve a difficult or unsatisfactory situation, even if it has little chance of success （为摆脱困境）抓救命稻草，不放过任何微小的机会•She offered to take a pay cut to keep her job, but she was just clutching at straws.她提出减薪以保住工作，但这只不过是在乱抓救命稻草。
UK [strɔ:] US [strɑ:] noun
the final/last straw (also the straw that breaks the camel's back)
■the last in a series of unpleasant events which finally makes you feel that you cannot continue to accept a bad situation （压垮骆驼的）最后一根稻草；（一系列不快事件中）最终使人无法忍受的事，使人最终崩溃的一击•Losing my job was bad enough, but being evicted from my house was the final straw.失去工作已经够糟，但被房东赶出门后我彻底崩溃了。 •She's always been rude to me, but it was the last straw when she started insulting my mother.她一直对我很无礼，但让我终于无法忍受的是她竟然开始辱骂我的母亲。
UK [strɔ:] US [strɑ:] noun
straw in the wind UK
■something that suggests what might happen （预示某事的）迹象，征兆，风向标•She described the theatre's closure as "a straw in the wind" as companies faced up to the realities of life after the lottery.她认为该剧院的关闭是一个信号，显示各家剧团终于放弃侥幸想法，开始面对现实了。 |