Straw is the dried, hollow stem of grain plants like wheat, oats, or barley, left over after the grain has been harvested. Picture a wheat field after harvest: the golden stalks lying in the field are straw. Farmers collect it into large bales, useful for animal bedding, mulch, or even building material.

Straw is different from hay. Hay is cut grass or other plants with leaves, harvested while still green and nutritious for animals to eat. Straw is just the leftover stems: animals can sleep on it, but it doesn't make good food.

People also use the word straw for the thin tube you drink through. These drinking straws were originally made from actual grain stalks (which are naturally hollow), but now they're usually plastic or paper tubes that work the same way.

You'll also hear straw in expressions. When someone is grasping at straws, they're desperately trying anything to solve a problem, even unlikely solutions. The last straw or the straw that broke the camel's back describes the final small problem that makes an already difficult situation unbearable. Imagine loading a camel with bundles of straw: one more piece seems harmless, but if the camel is already carrying too much, that single piece could be too much to bear.