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

Both of these more intense hair removal methods can keep strays away for longer periods of time. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 11 Oct. 2024

And if the for-profit side strays from that mission, the nonprofit side can intervene. —Kylie Robison, The Verge, 27 Sep. 2024

Verb

Lots of twists and jump scares and a charming willingness to stray from the traditional happy ending. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2024

Fostering a culture of internal accountability and encouraging leadership and board members to challenge decisions that may stray from the core vision ensures growth remains purposeful and aligned with the organization’s long-term goals. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

Adjective

The blood is procured when a stray kitten scratches her, becoming her familiar—the witch and the childless cat lady are one and the same. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024

As a college student, the idea of not having to vacuum my tiny dorm room felt revolutionary — even though, in reality, the vacuum barely cleaned 20% of the tiny room and routinely missed the stray Cheetos on the floor. —John Hall, Forbes, 18 Oct. 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