stray

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

[Middle English, from straien to stray]

archaic :the act of going astray

See stray defined for English-language learners

See stray defined for kids

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

To help animals, check the San Antonio Humane Society, which has set up an emergency fund for pets and strays, or the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .

— barbara ortutay, The Seattle Times, "How you can help with the disaster in Texas," 30 Aug. 2017
Many of the animals Wlodarek and Stockard rescued from the rising water were strays, abandoned or abused.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "This Fort Worth foster pet outfit led the rescue effort for 108 animals near Baytown," 30 Aug. 2017
The employees have always had to be creative - to the point where a stray box of Parliament cigarettes inspired a new line of electronic bells and clocks in the 1950's.

— kate murphy, Cincinnati.com, "Verdin bell company's first job was OTR church," 30 Aug. 2017
Police officers opened fire during the arrest to subdue him, and he was injured along with an officer hit by a stray police bullet, officials said.

— Bloomberg.com, "Suspect in Car Attack Near Paris Is An Algerian National," 10 Aug. 2017
Trap-Neuter-Return program offered in Tinley An informational workshop about Trap-Neuter-Return, a method of reducing the population of stray cats, will be from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 19 at PAWS, 8301 W. 191st St., Tinley Park.

— Daily Southtown, "Community news: Volunteers honored for work with older residents," 9 Aug. 2017
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.

— debbi baker, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Nearly two dozen lost 'Fourth of July' dogs are still unclaimed," 19 July 2017
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.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Summer a hot time for pet owners to 'clean house' of their cats and dogs," 18 July 2017
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.

— elyse roth, Glamour, "'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Episode 1 Recap: Ed Sheeran Cameos, Dany Goes Home, and More," 16 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

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

stray

verb

Definition of stray

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

See stray defined for English-language learners

Examples 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

Some stray observations since SO MUCH HAPPENED in this episode: -Dany’s cape in King’s Landing looked like a dragon egg, which was super cool.

— elyse roth, Glamour, "'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Finale Recap: A Major Death, That Jon and Daenerys Thing Happened, and So Much More," 28 Aug. 2017
With those limitations, Pedersen drifted away from going to church regularly, but did not stray from Catholicism.

— ken byron, courant.com, "Hartford Archdiocese Starts New Ministry For Deaf Catholics," 25 Aug. 2017
The Frenchman appeared to have equalised for the Gunners against Stoke in the second half of the bet365 clash, but it was quickly chalked off after he was adjudged to have strayed beyond the last defender.

— SI.com, "VIDEO: 'F*** Off Everybody!' Salty Ian Wright Fumes at Lacazette's Disallowed Goal," 20 Aug. 2017
Piña also has been a force in terms of run prevention, thanks to a strong throwing arm that makes it a risk to run on him or stray too far off base.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Haudricourt: Piña's solid play helped solidify Brewers' catching after trade of Lucroy," 19 Aug. 2017
According to the family, Henry doesn't stray far out into the fenced yard and typically sits at the front door when he is done.

— jessica schmidt, Cincinnati.com, "Hillsboro family searching for missing bulldog that helped twins with autism," 11 Aug. 2017
But the Saints aren't likely to stray too far from what has been done in the past.

— jeff duncan, NOLA.com, "Talking Saints, LSU and Morten Andersen: Dunc & Holder (8-7-17) rewind," 7 Aug. 2017
Cover garbage cans tightly and do not leave pet food outside that could attract stray animals.

— andrew michaels, Laurel Leader, "Rabid kitten raises concern in Laurel," 30 June 2017
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.

— cathy janek, Aurora Beacon-News, "Program in Aurora works to place 'unadoptable' cats at local farms, businesses," 28 June 2017

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-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

stray Synonyms

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

stray

adjective

Definition of stray

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

See stray defined for English-language learners

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

Those killed included a six-month-old baby who was clobbered on the head with a baton when police broke into her parents’ home in western Kenya and a nine-year-old girl hit by a stray bullet in Nairobi.

— tom odula, The Seattle Times, "Kenya’s opposition leader challenges polls in Supreme Court," 28 Aug. 2017
Gonna drop a few bucks, another $20 (take back $60), on Floyd to bleed first, thinking that Conor will hit him with a stray elbow, or head butt, and that will cause a trickle.

— ed barkowitz, Philly.com, "Mayweather-McGregor odds and props: Our guy is betting on who will bleed first," 25 Aug. 2017
Sydnor, a cheerleading captain and member of her high school’s award-winning jazz choir, was gunned down by a stray bullet, D.C. police said.

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "Jamahri Sydnor Was Killed 10 Days Before Heading To College. Now Her Organs Are Saving Lives.," 24 Aug. 2017
Because the warmer temperatures make female cats go into heat, the stray cat population tends to increase as well, Holeman said.

— anthony clark carpio, Burbank Leader, "Looking to find pets a new home, local animal shelters will lower adoption fees," 8 Aug. 2017
There are plenty of unexpected ways to upgrade your nail art, from sponges to concealer brushes (the small ones are the secret to cleaning up any stray polish around your cuticles).

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Easy Paint Splatter Nail Art Video Tutorial," 31 July 2017
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.

— andrew michaels, Laurel Leader, "Rabid kitten raises concern in Laurel," 30 June 2017
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.

— richard a. webster, NOLA.com, "18 years in Central City: An education in violence, drugs, isolation and hope," 27 June 2017
Stray domestic rat: Elliot Dr., 600 block, Purcellville, June 9.

— Washington Post, "Loudoun County Animal Watch," 21 June 2017

First Known Use of stray

1589

stray Synonyms

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

Near Antonyms

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

STRAY Defined for English Language Learners

stray

noun

Definition of stray for English Language Learners

: an animal (such as a cat or dog) that is lost or has no home
: a person or thing that is separated from a group

stray

verb

Definition of stray for English Language Learners

: to go in a direction that is away from a group or from the place where you should be

stray

adjective

Definition of stray for English Language Learners

of an animal : lost or having no home
: separated from another or others of the same kind
: not in or going in the proper or intended place

STRAY Defined for Kids

stray

noun \ ˈstrā \

Definition of stray for Students

:a domestic animal (as a cat or dog) that is lost or has no home

stray

verb

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.

stray

adjective

Definition of stray for Students

1 :lost or having no home

a stray dog

2 :not in the proper or intended place

I found a few stray socks.

3 :occurring here and there :random

a few stray hairs

Learn More about stray

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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stray

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stray

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