Читаем Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

2 N‑COUNT A straw is a thin tube of paper or plastic, which you use to suck a drink into your mouth. □  …a bottle of lemonade with a straw in it.

3 PHRASE If you are clutching at straws or grasping at straws , you are trying unusual or extreme ideas or methods because other ideas or methods have failed. □  …a badly thought-out scheme from a Government clutching at straws.

4 PHRASE If an event is the last straw or the straw that broke the camel's back , it is the latest in a series of unpleasant or undesirable events, and makes you feel that you cannot tolerate a situation any longer. □  The crisis could be the last straw for many of the world's poorest people.

5 PHRASE If you draw the short straw , you are chosen from a number of people to perform a job or duty that you will not enjoy. □  A few guests have drawn the short straw and agreed to drive others home.

straw|berry /strɔː bri, [AM ] -beri/ (strawberries ) N‑COUNT A strawberry is a small red fruit which is soft and juicy and has tiny yellow seeds on its skin. □  …strawberries and cream. □  …homemade strawberry jam.

stra w|berry blo nde (strawberry blondes ) also strawberry blond

1 ADJ Strawberry blonde hair is reddish blonde.

2 N‑COUNT A strawberry blonde is a person, especially a woman, who has strawberry blonde hair.

stra w po ll (straw polls ) N‑COUNT A straw poll is the unofficial questioning of a group of people to find out their opinion about something. □  A straw poll conducted at the end of the meeting found most people agreed with Mr Forth.

stray /stre I / (strays , straying , strayed )

1 VERB If someone strays somewhere, they wander away from where they are supposed to be. □ [V prep/adv] Tourists often get lost and stray into dangerous areas. □ [V ] A railway line crosses the park so children must not be allowed to stray.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] A stray dog or cat has wandered away from its owner's home. □  …a refuge for stray cats. ● N‑COUNT Stray is also a noun. □  The dog was a stray which had been adopted.

3 VERB If your mind or your eyes stray , you do not concentrate on or look at one particular subject, but start thinking about or looking at other things. □ [V ] Even with the simplest cases I find my mind straying.

4 ADJ [ADJ n] You use stray to describe something that exists separated from other similar things. □  An 8-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet. □  She shrugged a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

streak /striː k/ (streaks , streaking , streaked )

1 N‑COUNT A streak is a long stripe or mark on a surface which contrasts with the surface because it is a different colour. □  There are these dark streaks on the surface of the moon. □  The flames begin as a few streaks of red against the pale brown of the walls.

2 VERB If something streaks a surface, it makes long stripes or marks on the surface. □ [V n] Rain had begun to streak the window-panes. □ [be V -ed + with ] His face was pale and streaked with dirt.

3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone has a streak of a particular type of behaviour, they sometimes behave in that way. □  He's still got a mean streak.

4 VERB If something or someone streaks somewhere, they move there very quickly. □ [V prep/adv] A meteorite streaked across the sky.

5 N‑COUNT [adj N ] A winning streak or a lucky streak is a continuous series of successes, for example in gambling or sport. A losing streak or an unlucky streak is a series of failures or losses. □  The casinos had better watch out since I'm obviously on a lucky streak!