stray Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an animal that has strayed (especially a domestic animal)
  2. verb move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
    ramble; cast; swan; drift; wander; tramp; range; rove; roam; vagabond; roll.
    • The gypsies roamed the woods
    • roving vagabonds
    • the wandering Jew
    • The cattle roam across the prairie
    • the laborers drift from one town to the next
    • They rolled from town to town
  3. verb wander from a direct course or at random
    drift; err.
    • The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her
    • don't drift from the set course
  4. verb lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking
    digress; divagate; wander.
    • She always digresses when telling a story
    • her mind wanders
    • Don't digress when you give a lecture
  5. adjective satellite not close together in time
    isolated.
    • isolated instances of rebellion
    • a few stray crumbs
  6. adjective satellite (of an animal) having no home or having wandered away from home
    • a stray calf
    • a stray dog

WordNet

Stray intransitive verb
Etymology
OF. estraier, estraer, to stray, or as adj., stray, fr. (assumed) L. stratarius roving the streets, fr. L. strata (sc. via) a paved road. See Street, and Stray, a.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Strayed ; present participle & verbal noun Straying
Definitions
  1. To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.
    Thames among the wanton valleys strays. Denham.
  2. To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray.
    Now, until the break of day, Through this house each fairy stray. Shak.
    A sheep doth very often stray. Shak.
  3. Figuratively, to wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.
    We have erred and strayed from thy ways. of Com. Prayer.
    While meaner things, whom instinct leads, Are rarely known to stray. Cowper.
    Syn. -- To deviate; err; swerve; rove; roam; wander.
Stray transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To cause to stray. Obs. Shak.
Stray adjective
Etymology
Cf. OF. estraié, p.p. of estraier. See Stray, v. i., and cf. Astray, Estray.
Definitions
  1. Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a strayhorse or sheep.
Stray noun
Definitions
  1. Any domestic animal that has an inclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray. Used also figuratively.
    Seeing him wander about, I took him up for a stray. Dryden.
  2. The act of wandering or going astray. R. Shak.

Webster 1913