strand

1 of 5

noun (1)

: the land bordering a body of water : shore, beach

strand

2 of 5

verb (1)

stranded; stranding; strands

transitive verb

1
: to run, drive, or cause to drift onto a strand : run aground
2
: to leave in a strange or an unfavorable place especially without funds or means to depart
3
: to leave (a base runner) on base at the end of an inning in baseball

strand

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
Scotland and dialects of England : stream
2
Scotland and dialects of England : sea

strand

4 of 5

noun (3)

1
a
: fibers or filaments twisted, plaited, or laid parallel to form a unit for further twisting or plaiting into yarn, thread, rope, or cordage
b
: one of the wires twisted together or laid parallel to form a wire rope or cable
c
: something (such as a molecular chain) resembling a strand
a strand of DNA
2
a
: an element (such as a yarn or thread) of a woven or plaited material
b
: a threadlike piece of natural or synthetic material
a strand of hair
3
: an elongated or twisted and plaited body resembling a rope
a strand of pearls
4
: one of the elements interwoven in a complex whole
one strand of the novel's plot

strand

5 of 5

verb (2)

stranded; stranding; strands

transitive verb

1
: to break a strand of (a rope) accidentally
2
a
: to form (something, such as a rope) from strands
b
: to play out, twist, or arrange in a strand

Examples of strand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Adwoa Beauty’s milky spray is like an essence for scalp and strands, silky, nourishing, and easily spritzed on cornrows between wefts. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 The formula is super thick, and a little bit goes a long way to deeply nourish strands. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 The collar part is meant to represent DNA strands and double helix forms, while the rope motif represents the ropes that were historically used to transport the company’s famous trunks. Carol Besler, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The film was scheduled to play at the Singapore International Film Festival on Dec. 4 in the festival’s Standpoint strand. Patrick Frater, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024 In principle, each position in the DNA strand could be used to store two bits (A could represent 00, T could be 01, and so on), but in practice, information is generally stored at an effective one bit—a 0 or a 1—per base. IEEE Spectrum, 17 Feb. 2024 Brothers, a retired manager of the science center, said almost all birds that strand on the beach are seriously underweight and suffering from a range of ailments that could include parasites, exhaustion or starvation. USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024 Black-and-white photographs testify to people standing in the street, strands clasped in fists. Ligaya Mishan Kyoko Hamada, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 The shampoo works well with the Virtue Labs Recovery Conditioner to provide strands with a healthier-looking finish, plus softer and more manageable strands. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
As politicians around the region scramble to hash out a diplomatic solution to a political crisis that has the prime minister, Ariel Henry, stranded in Puerto Rico and gangs attacking police stations, a humanitarian disaster is quickly escalating. Andre Paultre, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Armed gangs have surrounded the country's main airport in Port-au-Prince, and acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry is stranded in Puerto Rico. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office rescued three people stranded in heavy snow this week after a weekend blizzard unleashed more than 10 feet of snow in the High Sierra amid billowing gusts topping 100 mph. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 On Friday night, emergency personnel needed several hours and tow trucks to reach and help motorists who became stranded on Donner Pass, the California Highway Patrol said. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 Life-threatening blizzard conditions along the mountain range between California and Nevada this weekend have stranded vehicles on dangerous roads as the storm dumps up to 10 feet of snow in some areas. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 Four college students who were camping in Red River Gorge were rescued by helicopter on Monday after an arctic cold front that struck the region left them stranded in the area. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 Perhaps most impressive: Nardi stranded 86.4 percent of runners on base against him; that was the seventh-best mark among 157 relievers last season who threw at least 50 innings. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 Here are some notable events to have occurred on Feb. 29. 1504 – Christopher Columbus predicted eclipse Explorer Christopher Columbus and his crew were stranded in Jamaica and relying on assistance from the native Arawak tribe. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old Norse strǫnd shore

Noun (2)

Middle English stronde, strande

Noun (3)

Middle English strond

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1621, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of strand was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near strand

Cite this Entry

“Strand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strand. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

strand

1 of 3 noun
: the land bordering a body of water : shore, beach

strand

2 of 3 verb
1
: to run aground : beach
boats stranded by the storm
2
: to leave in a strange or an unfavorable place especially without a way of departing
stranded in a strange city

strand

3 of 3 noun
1
: one of the fibers, threads, strings, or wires twisted or braided to make a cord, rope, or cable
2
: something resembling a strand
a strand of pearls
a strand of DNA
3
: one of the elements of a complicated whole
the strands of a legal argument
Etymology

Noun

Old English strand "shore"

Noun

Middle English strond "strand, fiber"

Medical Definition

strand

noun
: something (as a molecular chain) resembling a thread
a strand of DNA

More from Merriam-Webster on strand

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!