Definition of Stray

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. "They stray in the countryside"; "They rolled from town to town"
Exact synonyms: Cast, Drift, Ramble, Range, Roam, Roll, Rove, Swan, Tramp, Vagabond, Wander
Generic synonyms: Go, Locomote, Move, Travel
Specialized synonyms: Maunder, Gad, Gallivant, Jazz Around
Related verbs: Drift, Err, Wander
Derivative terms: Drifter, Drifting, Ramble, Rambler, Roamer, Roving, Strayer, Tramp, Vagabond, Vagabond, Vagabondage, Wanderer, Wandering

3. Adjective. Not close together in time. "A few stray crumbs"
Exact synonyms: Isolated
Similar to: Sporadic

4. Verb. Wander from a direct course or at random. "Don't drift from the set course"
Exact synonyms: Drift, Err
Generic synonyms: Go, Locomote, Move, Travel
Related verbs: Cast, Drift, Ramble, Range, Roam, Roll, Rove, Swan, Tramp, Vagabond, Wander
Derivative terms: Drift, Driftage, Drifting, Errant, Strayer

5. Adjective. (of an animal) having no home or having wandered away from home. "A stray dog"
Similar to: Lost

6. Verb. Lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking. "Don't digress when you give a lecture"
Exact synonyms: Digress, Divagate, Wander
Generic synonyms: Tell
Derivative terms: Digression, Digression, Digressive, Divagation, Divagation

Definition of Stray

1. v. i. To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.

2. v. t. To cause to stray.

3. a. Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a strayhorse or sheep.

4. n. 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.

Definition of Stray

1. Noun. 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'''. ¹

2. Noun. The act of wandering or going astray. ¹

3. Noun. (historical) An area of common land or place administered for the use of general domestic animals, i.e. "The Stray" ¹

4. Verb. To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way. ¹

5. Verb. To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray. ¹

6. Verb. Figuratively, to wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err. ¹

7. Adjective. Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a stray horse or sheep. ¹

8. Adjective. In the wrong place; misplaced. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Stray

1. to wander from the proper area or course [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Stray

strawhat
strawier
strawiest
strawing
strawless
strawlike
strawman
strawmen
strawn
strawne
straws
strawweight
strawworm
strawworms
strawy
stray (current term)
strayed
strayer
strayers
straying
strayings
strays
streak
streak-backed antshrike
streak-backed antshrikes
streak it
streak of good luck
streaked
streaked it
streaker

Literary usage of Stray

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Complete Word and Phrase Concordance to the Poems and Songs of Robert by J. B. Reid (1889)
"While through thy sweets she loves to stray, О tell me, does she muse on me ! ... Lassie vn the lint-white t Come let us stray our gladsome way, ..."

2. Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers by American Institute of Electrical Engineers (1913)
"With this degree of precision, the stray loss curve expressed as per cent of full-load output, and plotted against the output of the machine, ..."

3. A Course in Electrical Engineering by Chester Laurens Dawes (1920)
"The stray power at this load is 2500 watts. The generator is connected long shunt. What is the generator efficiency at this load? ..."

4. The Early Records of the Town of Providence by Providence (R.I.). Record Commissioners (1895)
"December ye 23rd 1714, Elisha Knowlton gave Notice that he had taken up a stray Maare, of Colour a bay, a halfe penney mark behind & before the off Eare, ..."

5. A Dictionary of the English Language: In which the Words are Deduced from ...by Samuel Johnson by Samuel Johnson (1805)
"She doth stray about 3. To err; to deviate from tlie right. ... To stray . va To mislead. Obsolete. Hath not else his eye stray'i his affection in unlawful ..."

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