2. A bed or layer artificially made; a course.
Stratus
(Stra"tus) n. [L. stratus a spreading out, scattering, from sternere, stratum, to spread.] (Meteor.)
A form of clouds in which they are arranged in a horizontal band or layer. See Cloud.
Straught
(Straught) obs. imp. & p. p. of Stretch.
Straught
(Straught), v. t. To stretch; to make straight. [Written also straucht.] [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
Straw
(Straw) v. t. To spread or scatter. See Strew, and Strow. Chaucer.
Straw
(Straw), n. [OE. straw, stre, stree, AS. streáw, from the root of E. strew; akin to OFries. stre,
D. stroo, G. stroh, OHG. stro, Icel. stra, Dan. straa, Sw. strå. &radic166. 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.
2. The gathered and thrashed stalks of certain species of grain, etc.; as, a bundle, or a load, of rye straw.
3. Anything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing; a mere trifle.
I set not a straw by thy dreamings.
Chaucer. Straw is often used in the formation of self- explaining compounds; as, straw-built, straw-crowned, straw-
roofed, straw-stuffed, and the like.
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 (Zoöl.), 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]
Strawberry
(Straw"ber*ry) 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, F. vesca.
There are also other less common species.
Strawberry bass. (Zoöl.) See Calico bass, under Calico. — Strawberry blite. (Bot.) See under
Blite. — Strawberry borer (Zoöl.), any one of several species of insects whose larvæ burrow in the crown
or roots of the strawberry vine. Especially: (a) The root borer a very small dark gray moth whose larvæ
burrow both in the larger roots and crown, often doing great damage. (b) The crown borer 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 (Zoöl.), a small European spider crab (Eurynome aspera); —
so called because the back is covered with pink tubercles. — Strawberry fish (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), any one of several species of moths whose larvæ roll up, and feed
upon, the leaves of the strawberry vine; especially, Phoxopteris fragariæ, and Eccopsis permundana.
— Strawberry moth (Zoöl.), any one of several species of moth whose larvæ feed on the strawberry
