straw-like
Meaning
resembling or characteristic of a straw in appearance, texture, or quality, such as being thin, dry, brittle, or yellowish.
Structure
Usage
her hair was bleached to a straw-like texture after summer at the beach.
the old broom had straw-like bristles that scratched the floor.
the artist used a straw-like material to create a delicate, woven sculpture.
Etymology
the compound adjective 'straw-like' is a transparent formation from two old english roots. 'straw' derives from proto-germanic 'strawą', related to the act of strewing, and originally referred to the dry, hollow stalks of cereal plants after threshing. the suffix '-like', from proto-germanic 'līkō', carries the enduring sense of 'body' or 'form', evolving into a productive means of indicating resemblance. combined, the term logically builds its modern meaning through a direct comparison: something possessing the physical qualities—such as dryness, hollowness, brittleness, or pale color—typical of a straw.
Analysis
- straw: from old english 'strēaw', meaning 'a stalk or stem of grain'. it functions as the base noun specifying the object of comparison. - like: from old english 'līc', meaning 'body, form; like, similar'. it functions as a suffix forming adjectives meaning 'having the characteristics of; similar to'.