What does "stray" mean?
Any domestic animal that lacks an enclosure, proper place, or company, but that instead wanders at large or is lost; an estray.
Stray
/stɹeɪ/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any domestic animal that lacks an enclosure, proper place, or company, but that instead wanders at large or is lost; an estray.
- Grammar: stray is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abandoned, aberrant, aberrative, abnormal.
- Useful contrasts: adhere, adhere to topic, bellwethers.
- Usage evidence: He is, as it were, a stray sheep.
How to use "stray"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stray" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stray" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stray" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stray" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "stray" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abandoned" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "stray", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any domestic animal that lacks an enclosure, proper place, or company, but that instead wanders at large or is lost; an estray.
- 2 an animal that has strayed (especially a domestic animal) wordnet
- 3 A person who is lost. figuratively, literally
"But vvhat a vvretched, and diſconſolate Hermitage is that Houſe, vvhich is not viſited by thee [God], and vvhat a VVayue, and Stray is that Man, that hath not thy Markes vpon him?"
- 4 An act of wandering off or going astray.
- 5 An area of common land for use by domestic animals. historical
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 An article of movable property, of which the owner is not known (see waif). British, archaic
"waifs and strays"
- 7 An instance of atmospheric interference.
"This invention relates broadly to radio communication, but more particularly to a radio receiving system used for the reception of high frequency current signals wherever they are subject to interference from "static" or strays of an untuned or aperiodic character."
- 8 A casual or offhand insult. slang
- 9 A submissive that has not committed to submit to any particular dominant, particulary in petplay.
- 10 Ellipsis of stray bullet. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"catch a stray"
Verb
- 1 To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way. intransitive
"Thames among the wanton valleys strays."
- 2 lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking wordnet
- 3 To wander from company or outside proper limits; to rove or roam at large; to go astray. intransitive
- 4 move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment wordnet
- 5 To wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err. intransitive
"November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk It was a derby that left Manchester United a long way back in Manchester City’s wing-mirrors and, in the worst moments, straying dangerously close to being their own worst enemy."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 wander from a direct course or at random wordnet
- 7 To cause to stray; lead astray. transitive
"Hath not else his eye / Strayed his affection in unlawful love,"
Adjective
- 1 Having gone astray; strayed; wandering not-comparable
"The alley is full of stray cats rummaging through the garbage."
- 2 In the wrong place; misplaced. not-comparable
"a stray comma"
Adjective
- 1 not close together in time wordnet
- 2 (of an animal) having no home or having wandered away from home wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"He is, as it were, a stray sheep."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stray"?
Common synonyms include: abandoned, aberrant, aberrative, abnormal, accidental, aimless.
How do you use "stray" in a sentence?
He is, as it were, a stray sheep.
How do you pronounce "stray"?
Pronounced /stɹeɪ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English stray, strey, from Anglo-Norman estray, stray, Old French estrai, from the verb (see below).
Etymology 2
From Middle English strayen, partly from Old French estraier, from Vulgar Latin via strata, and partly from Middle English strien, streyen, streyȝen (“to spread, scatter”), from Old English strēġan (“to strew”).
Etymology 3
From Middle English stray, from the noun (see above).