strayer

Variant of stray

intransitive verb

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

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

noun

  1. a person or thing that strays; esp., a domestic animal wandering at large
  2. static interfering with radio reception

adjective

  1. having strayed or wandered; lost
  2. occurring alone or infrequently; isolated; incidental: a few stray words

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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