stray

The definition of stray is someone or something that has been separated from where it should be or that is loose and all-by-itself.

(adjective)

A dog that has no home is an example of a dog that would be described as a stray dog.
A button that you just find on the floor and that doesn't appear to belong anywhere is an example of a stray button.

To stray is to deviate off course or to wander away from where you should be.

(verb)

When you wander off course, this is an example of a time when you stray.

See stray in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb

to wander from a given place, limited area, direct course, etc., esp. aimlessly; roam; rove
to go wrong; be in error; deviate (from what is right)
to fail to concentrate; be inattentive or digress

Origin: ME straien < OFr estraier < estrée, road, street < LL strata, street

noun

adjective

Related Forms:

See stray in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb strayed, stray·ing, strays

a. To move away from a group, deviate from the correct course, or go beyond established limits.
b. To become lost.
To wander about without a destination or purpose; roam. See Synonyms at wander.
To follow a winding course; meander.
To deviate from a moral, proper, or right course; err.
To become diverted from a subject or train of thought; digress. See Synonyms at swerve.

noun

One that has strayed, especially a domestic animal wandering about.

adjective