stray

¹stray

noun \ˈstrā\

Definition of STRAY

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

Examples of STRAY

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

Origin of STRAY

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

First Known Use: 13th century

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

Rhymes with STRAY

a, ae, bay, bey, blae, brae, bray, chez, clay, Cray, day, dey, dray, eh, fay, fey, flay, fley, frae, fray, Frey, gay, Gay, gey, gley, gray, hay, he, hey, Hue, j, jay, Jay, k, kay, Kay, lay, lei, may, nay, né, née, neigh, Ney, pay, pe, play, pray, prey, qua, quai, quay, Rae, ray, re, say, shay, slay, sleigh, spae, spay, Spey, splay, spray, stay, sway, Tay, they, tray, trey, way, weigh, whey, yea

²stray

intransitive verb

Definition of STRAY

: wander: 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

— stray·er noun

Examples of STRAY

1. The airplane strayed off course.
2. <our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow>

Origin of STRAY

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to STRAY

Synonyms

err, fall, sin, offend, transgress, trespass, wander

Related Words

breach, break, infringe, violate; backslide, lapse; mess up

Near Antonyms

forgive, justify, pardon; regret, repent, rue

³stray

adjective

Definition of STRAY

1

: having strayed or escaped from a proper or intended place <a stray dog> <hit by a stray bullet> <fixed a few stray hairs>

2

: occurring at random or sporadically <a few stray thoughts>

3

: not serving any useful purpose : unwanted <stray light>

Examples of STRAY

1. <stray sightings of UFO's, none of which have been rigorously analyzed by scientists>

First Known Use of STRAY

1589

Related to STRAY

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

methodical (also methodic), nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized

Related Words

accidental, casual, chance, chancy, contingent, fluky (also flukey), fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, lucky, unconsidered, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated; scattershot, shotgun; irregular, odd, sporadic, spot; directionless, objectless, purposeless; indiscriminate, unsystematic; undirected; disorderly, disorganized; undiscriminating, unselective

Near Antonyms

established, fixed, regular, set, stable, steady; constant, continuous, even; arranged, managed, orchestrated, ordered, planned; aware, conscious, deliberate, purposeful, thoughtful, willful (or wilful)