stray

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English

A stray dog wanders the streets.
A stray kitten in Manila, Philippines.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: strā, IPA(key): /stɹeɪ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪ

Etymology 1

From Middle English stray, strey, from Anglo-Norman estray, stray, Old French estrai, from the verb (see below).

Noun

stray (plural strays)

  1. Any domestic animal that has no enclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray.
  2. (figuratively) One who is lost, either literally or metaphorically.
  3. The act of wandering or going astray.
  4. (historical) An area of common land or place administered for the use of general domestic animals, i.e. "the stray"
Hyponyms
Translations

Etymology 2

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(deprecated template usage)

From Middle English strayen, partly from Old French estraier, from Vulgar Latin via strata[1], and partly from Middle English strien, streyen, streyȝen (“to spread, scatter”), from Old English strēġan (“to strew”).

Verb

stray (third-person singular simple present strays, present participle straying, simple past and past participle strayed)

  1. (intransitive) To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.
    • (Can we date this quote by Denham and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Thames among the wanton valleys strays.
  2. (intransitive) To wander from one's limits; to rove or roam at large; to go astray.
  3. (intransitive, figurative) To wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.
  4. (transitive) To cause to stray.
Synonyms
Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English stray, from the noun (see above).

Adjective

stray (not comparable)

  1. Having gone astray; strayed; wandering
    The alley is full of stray cats rummaging through the garbage.
    • 2017 April 6, Samira Shackle, “On the frontline with Karachi’s ambulance drivers”, in the Guardian‎[1]:
      The organisation fills many gaps left by the state, operating a dizzying array of services, including homes for victims of domestic violence, food banks and a shelter for stray animals.
  2. In the wrong place; misplaced.
    a stray comma
Derived terms
Translations

References

  1. ^ stray in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

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