Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To move away from a group, deviate from a course, or escape from established limits.
- intransitive verb To move without a destination or purpose; wander: synonym: wander.
- intransitive verb To be directed without apparent purpose; look in an idle or casual manner.
- intransitive verb To follow a winding or erratic course.
- intransitive verb To act contrary to moral or proper behavior, especially in being sexually unfaithful.
- intransitive verb To become diverted, as from a subject or train of thought: synonym: swerve.
- noun One that has strayed, especially a domestic animal wandering about.
- adjective Straying or having strayed; wandering or lost.
- adjective Scattered or separate.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Property left behind by an alien at his death, and escheated to the king in default of heirs.
- To wander, as from a direct course; deviate or go out of the way or from the proper limits; go astray.
- To wander from the path of truth, duty, or rectitude; turn from the accustomed or prescribed course; deviate.
- To move about without or as without settled purpose or direction.
- Synonyms To straggle.
- 1 and
- Wander, Rove, etc. See
ramble , v. - To cause to stray; mislead; seduce.
- noun In wireless telegraphy, a disturbance due to fluctuating differences of potential between the top of the antennæ of a receiving station and the earth which sometimes affects the recording instrument and interferes with signaling. Also called an X.
- Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; straggling; incidental.
- noun Any domestic animal that has left an inclosure or its proper place and company, and wanders at large or is lost; an estray.
- noun Hence A person or persons astray; a straggler; a truant.
- noun The act of wandering.
- noun A pasturage for cattle.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.
- intransitive verb To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray.
- intransitive verb Figuratively, to wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.
- transitive verb obsolete To cause to stray.
- adjective Having gone astray; strayed; wandering.
- adjective (Naut.) that portion of the log line which is veered from the reel to allow the chip to get clear of the stern eddies before the glass is turned.
- adjective (Naut.) the mark indicating the end of the stray line.
- noun Any domestic animal that has an inclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray. Used also figuratively.
- noun rare The act of wandering or going astray.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Any domestic animal that has an
inclosure , or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; anestray . Used alsofiguratively . - noun The act of wandering or going
astray . - noun historical An area of common land or place
administered for the use of general domestic animals, i.e. "The Stray" - verb To
wander , as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way. - verb To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to
roam ; to go astray. - verb Figuratively, to wander from the path of
duty orrectitude ; toerr . - adjective Having gone
astray ;strayed ;wandering ; as, a stray horse or sheep. - adjective In the wrong place;
misplaced .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb wander from a direct course or at random
- verb move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
- verb lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking
- adjective not close together in time
- noun an animal that has strayed (especially a domestic animal)
- adjective (of an animal) having no home or having wandered away from home
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Over the years, as we took in 'stray' boys, they learned this habit, too.
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How do he and Bobbie stray from the family paradigm?
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker: Questions 2009
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Microsoft Security Response team spokesman Christopher Budd this morning declined to stray from a vague company statement about whether Microsoft can design and test a patch in time for its once-a-month security update, otherwise known as Patch Tuesday, which falls on July 14.
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She nobly takes it as a compliment, but mildly disagrees that The Incredible Machine sounds nothing like country, then totally dismisses the notion that this is a deliberate attempt to completely stray from the music that made Nashville famous.
Michael Bialas: Jennifer Nettles on Why This Sugarland Is Your Sugarland Michael Bialas 2010
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She nobly takes it as a compliment, but mildly disagrees that The Incredible Machine sounds nothing like country, then totally dismisses the notion that this is a deliberate attempt to completely stray from the music that made Nashville famous.
Michael Bialas: Jennifer Nettles on Why This Sugarland Is Your Sugarland Michael Bialas 2010
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If his show gets run on the radio today, I predict he will stray from the Haitian effort as much as possible.
Think Progress » Morning Joe crew rips Limbaugh: ‘Deplorable,’ ‘insensitive,’ ‘mean-spirited.’ 2010
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Different situations but an amazing movie that DOES NOT stray from the original story line … You moron
'The Boondock Saints II': A cult hit gets a second shot | EW.com 2009
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Without taking proper preventive measures, our idea of the sanctified record from which publications may not stray is likely to be further and further eroded.
Social Media Obscures Line Between “on the record” and “off the record” : Law is Cool 2009
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Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
what he said. yennenga 2009
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To all members of the enlightening, noble spiritual community, who never stray from the thoroughly liberating adamantine city, who possess the wisdom eye that directly sees the profound truth and the highest valour to destroy all machinations of cyclic existence, to you, we offer our prayers with fervent devotion:
The Long Life Prayer for the 14th Dalai Lama daj42 2009
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