Definition of stray
1a : a domestic animal that is wandering at large or is lostb : a person or thing that strays
2 [Middle English, from straien to stray] archaic : the act of going astray
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Examples of stray in a Sentence
Both of her cats were strays that she found wandering in the neighborhood.
Recent Examples of stray from the Web
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Two weeks after dozens of stray dogs likely frightened by Fourth of July fireworks ended up in county animal shelters, nearly two dozen remain unclaimed.
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The county also offers free spaying and neutering for low-income families to reduce the number of unwanted animals that might end up as strays.
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Now, a few stray thoughts re: everyone else: -Ed Sheeren coming in hot with a new a cappella single! -I’m not kidding about the crossover with The Walking Dead.
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A citizen reported that someone dropped off a small stray dog.
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The pair had been target shooting on a farm in Ohio when a stray shot hit Merle Webb in the cheek.
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A teen, 17, died in the first shooting and a 20-year-old woman was hit by what police say is a stray bullet.
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After spending five hours in outpatient care, X-rays confirmed what Poole could feel: There was a foreign object stuck in his throat—what turned out to be an inch-long stray wire from Poole's barbecue grill brush.
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The Dog Law Restricted Account, created under Gov. Ed Rendell in 2008, pays for programs that inspect breeder’s kennels, rescue stray dogs, and deal with dog-bite cases in the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stray.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of stray
Middle English, from Anglo-French estraié, past participle of estraier
stray
Definition of stray
intransitive verb
: wander: such asa : to wander from company, restraint, or proper limitsb : to roam about without fixed direction or purposec : to move in a winding course : meanderd : to move without conscious or intentional effort eyes straying absently around the roome : to become distracted from an argument or train of thought strayed from the pointf : to wander accidentally from a fixed or chosen routeg : err, sin
strayer
nounExamples of stray in a Sentence
The airplane strayed off course.
our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow
Recent Examples of stray from the Web
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Cover garbage cans tightly and do not leave pet food outside that could attract stray animals.
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Hollis, Vinnie, Deja, Bing, and Roscoe all are formerly stray cats that are currently up for adoption at Aurora Animal Control and Care through the program.
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The search for the new chief usher didn't stray far from the White House; Harleth was until recently the director of rooms at the Trump International Hotel in Washington.
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Making things worse, at one point Sekulow strayed from the script and offered a pre-emptive defense of the president should the rumors of an obstruction investigation be true, and that’s when things got really convoluted.
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On hand to celebrate the kudocast's afterparty, MTV + Toyota C-HR Present: One Night of Mischief, Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell applauded MTV for straying from the traditional gender norms set by other award shows.
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A couple of animals strayed, but the majority were placed in various city warehouses, occasionally pulled for use in Christmas displays at University Park and Monument Circle.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stray.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of stray
Middle English straien, from Anglo-French estraier, from Vulgar Latin *extravagare, from Latin extra- outside + vagari to wander — more at extra-
stray
Definition of stray
Examples of stray in a Sentence
stray sightings of UFO's, none of which have been rigorously analyzed by scientists
Recent Examples of stray from the Web
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A rabid kitten has caught the attention of the Prince George's County Health Department after Laurel residents were bit and scratched by the stray kitten near the 9000 block of Cherry Lane last week.
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There's one in an apartment where a stray bullet fatally struck Norma Perez in February, and another on a second-floor balcony near where Maurice Sparkman was killed in 2014.
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Some species can reproduce in a tiny amount of water, so a stray bottle cap or soda can could serve as breeding grounds.
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A child was struck in the head by a stray bullet on his fifth birthday in the Bronx on Monday, the New York Police Department said.
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Officials there are reminding pet owners to keep their dogs and cats away from wild or stray animals, it was reported.
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In the chaos and confusion, a bystander was struck in the head by a stray bullet, Lamas said.
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Skeptics of Bevin’s roving prayer group plan included Micheshia Norment, the mother of a 7-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet last month.
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Unfortunately, Sharrett got caught in a crossfire and was struck by a stray bullet from one of his fellow soldiers' weapon.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stray.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of stray
1589
STRAY Defined for English Language Learners
stray
playDefinition of stray for English Language Learners
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: an animal (such as a cat or dog) that is lost or has no home
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: a person or thing that is separated from a group
stray
Definition of stray for English Language Learners
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: to go in a direction that is away from a group or from the place where you should be
stray
Definition of stray for English Language Learners
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of an animal : lost or having no home
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: separated from another or others of the same kind
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: not in or going in the proper or intended place
STRAY Defined for Kids
Definition of stray for Students
: a domestic animal (as a cat or dog) that is lost or has no home
Definition of stray for Students
strayed
;straying
1 : to wander from a group or from the proper place : roam The gate was left open and the cow strayed.
2 : to go off from a direct or chosen route or the right course We strayed from the path.
3 : to become distracted from a topic or train of thought
Headscratcher for stray
Remove one letter from stray and you get its opposite: stay.
Learn More about stray
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See words that rhyme with stray Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stray Spanish Central: Translation of stray Nglish: Translation of stray for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stray for Arabic speakers
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