stray

Meanings

Noun

• Any domestic animal that has no enclosure nor proper place and company, but that instead wanders at large or is lost; an estray.
• One who is lost, literally or figuratively.
• An act of wandering off or going astray.
• An area of common land for use by domestic animals generally.
• An instance of atmospheric interference.

Verb

• To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.
• To wander from company or outside proper limits; to rove or roam at large; to go astray.
• To wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.
• To cause to stray; lead astray.

Adjective

• Having gone astray; strayed; wandering
• In the wrong place; misplaced.

Origin

• From Middle English stray, strey, from Anglo-Norman estray, stray, Old French estrai, from the verb (see below).
• From Middle English strayen, partly from Old French estraier, from Vulgar Latin via strata, and partly from Middle English strien, streyen, streyȝen, from Old English strēġan.
• From Middle English stray, from the noun (see above).