verb
stray
stray
verb
1
To wander away from where you should be, or to drift off a planned path or topic.
"The dog strayed from the yard and wandered into town."
"The conversation strayed far from the original question."
adj
1
Having wandered off, or found somewhere it doesn't belong.
"They took in a stray cat that kept showing up on the porch."
"A stray bullet shattered the window."
How to Use Stray
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo wander off course, or (as an adjective) something/someone lost or out of place, like a stray animal.
Common pairings
stray dog
stray bullet
stray from the topic
Word Forms
more stray comparative, strayer comparative, strayed past tense, strays singular, strayest superlative, most stray superlative
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The dog _____ from the yard and wandered into town.
Etymology
From Old French estraier, tied to the idea of wandering off the main road ("strata"), and blended with an Old English word meaning to scatter.