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

a cow straying into the woods

He strayed from the group and got lost.

—often used figuratively

The menu at the restaurant never strays far from traditional dishes.

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 of stray

Verb

• trespass
• wander
• fall

Adjective

• random
• scattered
• arbitrary

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

How To Prep Blueberries Before Washing Before cleaning, spread fresh blueberries onto a plate or tray and sort through, discarding any moldy, shriveled, or crushed berries, along with stray stems or leaves. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2026

Bella recently turned up at a Winnebago County Animal Services facility in Rockford as a stray. —Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026

Verb

Arkansas, however, strayed away from its identity and quickly fell behind 15 points at halftime. —Arkansas Online, 12 Jan. 2026

New offensive line coach AJ Blazek didn’t stray far from his roots in the Big Ten to find his first offensive lineman. —Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026

Adjective

There was even a stray Kyle Tucker rumor in the wild, unlikely as that still is. —Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026

Policing organizations such as the Police Executive Research Forum and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have recommended similar limits, warning that shooting at vehicles creates serious risks from stray gunfire or from a vehicle crashing if the driver is hit. —Claudia Lauer, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for stray

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

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