| 释义 |
straw in the wind
straw S0799200 (strô)n.1. a. Stalks of threshed grain, used as bedding and food for animals, for thatching, and for weaving or braiding, as into baskets.b. A single stalk of threshed grain.2. Pieces or a piece of natural or artificial strawlike material.3. Something, such as a hat or basket, made of straw.4. A slender tube used for sucking up a liquid.5. a. Something of minimal value or importance.b. The least valuable bit; a jot: I don't care a straw what you think.c. Something with too little substance to provide support in a crisis: Near the end we were grasping at straws.adj.1. Of, relating to, or made of straw: a straw mat.2. Containing or used for straw, as a barn or feeding trough.3. Of the color of straw; yellowish.4. a. Of, relating to, or constituting a straw man.b. Apparently legitimate but actually intended as a cover for illegal or secret activity: set up a straw company to launder money.Idioms: final/last straw The final annoyance or setback, which even though minor makes one no longer able to endure something. straw in the wind A slight hint of something to come.
[Middle English, from Old English strēaw; see ster- in Indo-European roots.]
straw′y adj.straw in the windA sign or indication of what might be about to happen.straw in the wind
straw in the windA minor event or action that predicts or foreshadows a future event. His negative remark about marriage was a straw in the wind that suggested he was headed for a divorce. Bill didn't get the promotion and, looking back, I think his very public argument with the boss was a straw in the wind.See also: straw, windstraw in the windA slight hint of the future, as in The public unrest is a straw in the wind indicating future problems for the regime. This expression alludes to a straw showing in what direction the wind blows, an observation also behind the idiom straw vote. See also: straw, winda straw in the wind BRITISH, JOURNALISMIf an event is a straw in the wind, it is a sign of the way in which a situation may develop. There is some evidence that the economy is starting to climb out of recession. The latest straw in the wind is a pick-up in sales among the nation's retail giants. These were straws in the wind, a foretaste of what was to come. Note: People sometimes drop pieces of straw in order to see which way they move as they fall, so that they can tell which way the wind is blowing. See also: straw, winda straw in the wind a slight but significant hint of future developments.See also: straw, winda straw in the ˈwind (British English) an unimportant incident or piece of information which shows you what might happen in the future: Journalists are always looking for straws in the wind.See also: straw, wind straw in the wind A slight hint of something to come.See also: straw, windEncyclopediaSeestrawMedicalSeeStraw |