麦秆 (mài gǎn) literally means 'wheat stalk' — 麦 (mài) refers to wheat, and 秆 (gǎn) means 'stalk' or 'stem' of a cereal plant. Together, they denote the dry, hollow stem left after wheat grains are harvested. It’s a collective noun referring to the entire harvested stalk material, not individual stems.

Traditionally, wheat straw was used for thatching roofs, weaving baskets or hats, bedding for livestock, and as organic mulch or compost in agriculture. Though less common today due to synthetic alternatives, it remains culturally and ecologically significant in rural China, especially during harvest season and in craft traditions like straw weaving (草编). The term is neutral in register and appears in agricultural reports, environmental discussions, and folk art contexts.