stray

1 of 3

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Lexi and her family had grown used to the presence of a fluffy, elusive stray who wandered in and out of their lives. Ashley Vega, People.com, 26 May 2025 But, while American media emphasized the tragic sacrifice forced on the one-time stray, Russians are more likely to remember that other dogs were also early space travelers—and many of them returned from their missions to be hailed as heroes. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 May 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, those who don’t want to stray too far from Santa Cruz can find another fascinating community in the form of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 Setbacks may tempt you to stray from your vision, but staying true to yourself attracts the right clients, collaborators and opportunities. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Adjective
Weeding Regular weeding is an effective way to get rid of stray grass that sneaks into your flower beds. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025 Listen to this article The heartbroken family of Evette Jeffrey — the 16-year-old Bronx girl tragically killed by a stray bullet — hopes the teen accused of the fatal shooting spends the rest of his life behind bars. Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for stray

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of stray was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stray. Accessed 31 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

stray

1 of 3 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on stray

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