stray

1 of 3

noun

ˈstrā 

1

a

: a domestic animal that is wandering at large or is lost

b

: a person or thing that strays

2

[Middle English, from straien to stray] archaic : the act of going astray

stray

2 of 3

verb

strayed; straying; strays

intransitive verb

: wander: such as

a

: to wander from company, restraint, or proper limits

b

: to roam about without fixed direction or purpose

c

: to move in a winding course : meander

d

: to move without conscious or intentional effort

eyes straying absently around the room

e

: to become distracted from an argument or train of thought

strayed from the point

f

: to wander accidentally from a fixed or chosen route

g

: err, sin

strayer noun

stray

3 of 3

adjective

1

: having strayed or escaped from a proper or intended place

a stray dog

2

: occurring at random or sporadically

stray thoughts

3

: not serving any useful purpose : unwanted

stray light

Synonyms

Verb

• err
• fall
• offend
• sin
• transgress
• trespass
• wander

Adjective

• aimless
• arbitrary
• catch-as-catch-can
• desultory
• erratic
• haphazard
• helter-skelter
• hit-or-miss
• random
• scattered
• slapdash

Examples of stray in a Sentence

Noun

Both of her cats were strays that she found wandering in the neighborhood.

Verb

The airplane strayed off course.

our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow

Adjective

stray sightings of UFO's, none of which have been rigorously analyzed by scientists

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The female dog then offered the stray a toy carrot, and rested her head on the couch seat in a show of support. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

The two-year-old shih tzu came in as a stray to the Carson Animal Shelter in California where foster parent Jan Vega volunteers. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024

Verb

Egger's reimagination of Nosferatu doesn't stray far from the original film's storyline. —Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024

Most fans are pleased with Taylor-Johnson's casting, but comic book readers are concerned this version of Kraven may stray too far from the beloved source material. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Adjective

Taylor had seen an influx of stray kittens brought into her animal hospital in October, when the incident occurred, and feared that someone had dropped a whole box of them at her doorstep to be taken care of. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Goods of the Woods hearth rug: $99 A hearth rug like this Goods of the Woods one at Amazon protects your floors from stray sparks, hot embers, and ash while adding warmth and style to your room. —Jené Luciani Sena, Fox News, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French estraié, past participle of estraier

Verb

Middle English straien, from Anglo-French estraier, from Vulgar Latin *extravagare, from Latin extra- outside + vagari to wander — more at extra-

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stray

1 of 3 noun

ˈstrā 

1

: a domestic animal that is wandering loose or is lost

2

: a person or thing that strays

stray

2 of 3 verb

1

: to wander from a group or from the proper place : roam

the dog strayed from the yard

2

: to wander from a fixed or chosen route or at random

accidentally strayed off the path

3

: to become distracted from an argument or chain of thought

strayed from the point

strayer noun

stray

3 of 3 adjective

1

: having strayed or been lost

a stray dog

2

: occurring in one place and another or at random

a few stray hairs