9. stray found or occurring apart from others or as an isolated or casual instance; incidental; occasional.
Etymology: (1250–1300; (v.) ME, aph. var. of astraien, estraien < OF estraier < VL *extrāvagāre to wander out of bounds (see extravagant ))
Definition of 'stray'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (adj)stray an animal that has strayed (especially a domestic animal)
2. (adj)isolated, stray not close together in time "isolated instances of rebellion"; "a few stray crumbs"
3. (verb)stray (of an animal) having no home or having wandered away from home "a stray calf"; "a stray dog"
4. (verb)roll, wander, swan, stray, tramp, roam, cast, ramble, rove, range, drift, vagabond move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment "The gypsies roamed the woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town"
5. (verb)stray, err, drift wander from a direct course or at random "The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her"; "don't drift from the set course"
6. (verb)digress, stray, divagate, wander lose clarity or turnaside especially from the mainsubject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking "She always digresses when telling a story"; "her mind wanders"; "Don't digress when you give a lecture"
1. (verb)stray to accidentally go into a place where you should not be tourists who had strayed into a dangerous neighborhood
2. stray (of your mind) to think about sth that is not what you should focus on His mind strayed to what she had said last night.
3. (adjective)stray (of animals) lost and livingoutdoors a stray cat/dog
4. stray not in the correct place a stray bullet/bomb
5. (noun)stray a lost dog or cat livingoutdoors She brings the strays to the shelter.
Definition of 'stray'
Webster Dictionary
1. (adj)stray to wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way
2. (adj)stray to wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray
3. (adj)stray figuratively, to wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err
4. (noun)stray any domesticanimal that has an inclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray. Used also figuratively