Definition of stray - Reverso English Dictionary
Adjective
1.
animalhaving wandered away from home or place
- The shelter took in a stray dog.
2.
randomnessscattered or random in occurrence
- He picked up a stray piece of paper.
3.
displacementaway from its proper place or course
- The straying car drifted toward the shoulder.
Verb
1.
wandermove away from a set path or group
- The hikers strayed from the main trail.
2.
digressdeviate from a topic or focus
- His thoughts strayed during the lecture.
3.
moral deviationdeviate from moral or ethical standards
- He strayed from his principles.
Noun
1.
animalsdomestic animal without a home or owner
- The shelter takes in many strays each year.
2.
homelessnessperson who is lost or without a home
- The organization helps strays find shelter and support.
3.
randomnessisolated or random occurrence out of place
- The scientist noted a stray in the data.
Expressions with stray
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
deviate from the planned direction
The hiker strayed off course and got lost in the forest.
move away from a set course of action or behavior
She strayed from the path of her career to explore new opportunities.
enter a place or situation unintentionally
The cat strayed into the neighbor's garden.
dog that has wandered away from its home
We found a stray dog in our backyard yesterday.
bullet that hits something other than its intended target
A stray bullet shattered the window during the shootout.
start talking about something not related to the main topic
Please don't stray from the point during your presentation.
move away from a place or path
The dog tends to stray away from the yard.
Origin of stray
Middle English, straien (wander)
Terms with stray included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
animal shelter
place for stray animals
animal
stray cat typically found in urban areas
rescue
organization providing temporary homes for stray animals
animal shelter
place where stray dogs are kept
thoughts stray
think or speak about something unrelated to the main subject
travel
stray from a path or course
off course
stray from a plan or standard
rule following
stray from intended path, often becoming uncontrolled or risky
deviate
stray from a planned course or goal
organization
government service that handles stray animals and enforces local pet laws
municipal job
person who captures stray dogs for a municipality
animal control
official responsible for managing stray or dangerous dogs
deviate
stray from the right course or accepted standards
change course
stray from the intended course of action
firearms
stray shot away from the target
animal
stray cat that is part of a managed colony
deviation
stray from a direct or intended path
moral decline
stray into wrongdoing or sin
zoology
Indian breed or stray dog
animals
stray animal or pet
conversation
stray from the main subject in conversation
movement
wander or stray from a course or subject
hair
stray hair difficult to style
stray animal
young animal that has strayed from its group
Examples of stray in a sentence
They found a stray rabbit in the park. A stray bullet hit the wall. She found a stray sock under the bed. A stray ball rolled onto the tennis court. The editor removed a stray line from the report. Children often stray when they see something interesting.
The dog strayed into the neighbor's garden. She strayed from the main point during her speech. The conversation strayed into unrelated topics. She strayed from the path of honesty. They warned him not to stray into unethical practices. A stray wandered into the backyard looking for food. The town has a program to help strays find homes. Strays often gather in the park at night. The city has a program to help strays. A stray in the experiment skewed the results. The report mentioned a stray in the statistics.
View all translations of stray
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:errant, s'égarer, ...
- German:verirrt, streunen, ...
- Italian:randagio, allontanarsi, ...
- Spanish:callejero, desviarse, ...
- Portuguese:abandonado, afastar-se, ...
- Chinese:流浪的, 偏离, ...
- Japanese:迷い, 外れる, ...
- Arabic:ضَالّ, انْحَرَفَ, ...
- Hebrew:מְשׁוֹטֵט, לִסְטוֹת, ...
- Russian:бездомный, сбиться, ...
- Ukrainian:бездомний, відхилитися, ...
- Hindi:आवारा, भटक जाना, ...
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