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Stray: meaning, definitions and examples

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stray

 

[ streɪ ]

Adjective / Noun
Context #1 | Adjective

animal

having wandered away from a direct route or place; not in the right place

Synonyms

homeless, lost, wandering

Examples of usage

  • The stray cat followed me home.
  • Please keep an eye out for any stray dogs in the neighborhood.
  • The stray sheep got lost in the forest.
Context #2 | Noun

animal

a domestic animal that is wandering at large or lost

Synonyms

homeless animal, lost pet, wanderer

Examples of usage

  • The animal shelter is full of strays looking for homes.
  • We found a stray puppy wandering around the park.
  • The city has a program to help control the population of strays.

Translations

Translations of the word "stray" in other languages:

🇵🇹 perdido

🇮🇳 आवारा

🇩🇪 streunend

🇮🇩 tersesat

🇺🇦 блудний

🇵🇱 bezpański

🇯🇵 迷子 (maigo)

🇫🇷 errant

🇪🇸 extraviado

🇹🇷 başıboş

🇰🇷 길 잃은 (gil ilh-eun)

🇸🇦 ضال (dal)

🇨🇿 ztracený

🇸🇰 stratený

🇨🇳 流浪 (liúlàng)

🇸🇮 izgubljen

🇮🇸 villtur

🇰🇿 адасқан

🇬🇪 დაკარგული (dakarguli)

🇦🇿 azmış

🇲🇽 extraviado

Etymology

The word 'stray' originated from Middle English 'straien', meaning 'to wander'. It has been used since the 14th century to describe animals that have wandered away or are lost. Over time, 'stray' has come to represent both the action of wandering and the animals themselves. Today, it is commonly used to refer to lost or homeless animals.

See also: straying.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,401, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.