Sc. and dial. Forms: 1 windelstreaw, -streow, 6 Sc. wynd-, windilstray, 7 windle-strawe, 8–9 Sc. winlestrae, 9 dial. windle-, winnelstrae, -stray, etc., 7– windlestraw. [OE. windelstréaw, ? f. windel WINDLE sb.1 + stréaw STRAW sb.]
1. A dry thin withered stalk of grass, such as is left standing after the flower or seed is shed.
In north. dial. shortened to windle.
a. 1000. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 273/23. Calmum, windelstreow.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. Prol. 134. With hyrstis harsk of waggand wyndilstrays.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 303. I siakkerit at the windilstrayis.
a. 1598. D. Fergusson, Scot. Prov. (1641), 323. He that is redd for windlestrawes, should not sleep in lees.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 76. If the weather bee harde and sharpe, and the hey shorte and good, they [sc. sheep] will not leave soe much as a pile of grasse or a windle-strawe.
a. 1722. in M. P. Brown, Suppl. Dict. Decis. (1826), IV. 793. To restrict him to the fifth part of the rent, was to send him to lift the rest of his stipend from windlestraws and sandy laverocks.
c. 1730. Ramsay, Fables, xix. 67. They’ll start at winlestraes.
1815. Shelley, Alastor, 528. Tall spires of windlestrae Threw their thin shadows down the rugged slope.
1821. Scott, Pirate, iv. The air is close,… and the day so calm, that not a windlestraw moves on the heath.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XXI. ii. VI. 350. Think what a fine figure of rye and barley, instead of mere windlestraws, beggary and desolation, was realised by that act alone.
1877. Browning, Fifine, ix. Thistle fluffs and bearded windlestraws.
2. A name for various long-stalked species of grass, as Cynosurus cristatus (dog’s-tail grass), Lolium perenne (rye-grass), and Agrostis Spicaventi. Also windlestraw-grass.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 44. Wiþ earwicgan, ʓenim þæt micle greate windel streaw twyecge.
1636. Johnson, Gerarde’s Herbal, I. iii. 6. Reed-grasse … in Latine … Spica venti agrorum.… Some…, much agreeable to the Latine name, call these, Windle-strawes.
1775. J. Anderson, Ess. Agric., 418. The crested dogs-tail-grass, Cynosurus cristatus, commonly known in Scotland by the name of Windlestraw-grass.
1801. Leyden, Elfin-King, xiii. The windlestrae, so limber and grey [note, Rye-grass].
1862. Mrs. Norton, Lady of La Garaye, Prol. 112. The pale tufts of the windlestrae grass Hang like locks of dry dead hair.
3. fig. a. Applied to something (material or immaterial) light, trifling or flimsy; occas. contemptuously to a spear or lance.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., 6 Jan. (1671), 414. No windle-straws, no bits of clay, no temptations … will then be able to withstand you.
1831. Scott, Ct. Robt., xi. Not one has the courage to throw his windlestraw while he perceives that of another pointed against himself.
1895. Crockett, Men of Moss-Hags, xl. He grippit me with one hand and drew his windlestrae of a sword wi’ the other.
1905. Times Lit. Suppl., 25 Aug., 267/3. Her … blank verse and other heavy … things … have none of the life and sweetness of her windlestraw.
b. Applied to a thin lanky person, or one of feeble health or character.
1818. Miss Ferrier, Marriage, xxxiv. A wheen puir feckless windlestraes.
1836. J. M. Wilson, Tales, II. 214/2. D’ye ken that this winnle-straw o’ a lassie … has won the kirn?
[1845. Carlyle, Schiller, I. 30. An honest man you may form of windle-straws; but, to make a rascal, you must have grist.]
1907. ‘Q.’ (Quiller-Couch), Poison Isl. xxxi. A thin, windlestraw of a man.
