Stray

/streɪ/

Meaning & Definition

noun

a person or animal that has no home and wanders.

The shelter took in strays from the city streets.

a stray object or item that is lost or misplaced.

I found a stray sock under the couch.

verb

to move away from the correct path or direction.

The hiker began to stray from the marked trail.

to wander or roam in search of something.

He would often stray into the woods to explore.

adjective

having wandered from the proper place or path.

The stray dog looked lost and hungry.

not in the right place; out of alignment.

She corrected the stray hair that had fallen out of place.

Middle English, from Old English 'streah' meaning 'to roam or wander'.

stray cat:

A cat that has no home or is lost.

stray bullet:

A bullet that hits a target it was not intended for.

stray from the path:

To deviate from the correct or moral course.

To be lost or confused.

I really felt stray after that conversation.

To not follow the norms or directions.

He's been acting stray lately, not caring about the rules.