What is "stray"

Stray \Stray\, v. t. To cause to stray. [Obs.]
--Shak.

Stray \Stray\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Strayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Straying.] [OF. estraier, estraer, to stray, or as adj., stray, fr. (assumed) L. stratarius roving the streets, fr. L. strata (sc. via) a paved road. See Street, and Stray, a.]

1. To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.

   Thames among the wanton valleys strays.
   --Denham.

2. To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray.

   Now, until the break of day, Through this house each fairy stray.
   --Shak.

   A sheep doth very often stray.
   --Shak.

3. Figuratively, to wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.

   We have erred and strayed from thy ways.
   --??? of Com. Prayer.

   While meaner things, whom instinct leads, Are rarely known to stray.
   --Cowper.

   Syn: To deviate; err; swerve; rove; roam; wander.

Stray \Stray\, a. [Cf. OF. estrai['e], p. p. of estraier. See Stray, v. i., and cf. Astray, Estray.] Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a strayhorse or sheep.

Stray line (Naut.), that portion of the log line which is veered from the reel to allow the chip to get clear of the stern eddies before the glass is turned.

Stray mark (Naut.), the mark indicating the end of the stray line.

Stray \Stray\, n.

1. Any domestic animal that has an inclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray. Used also figuratively.

   Seeing him wander about, I took him up for a stray.
   --Dryden.

2. The act of wandering or going astray. [R.]
   --Shak.

c.1300, a shortening of Old French estraier "wander about, roam, drift, run loose," said of animals, especially a horse without a master, also of persons, perhaps literally "go about the streets," from estree "route, highway," from Late Latin via strata "paved road" (see street). On another theory, the Old French word is from Vulgar Latin *estragare, a contraction of *estravagare, representing Latin extra vagari "to wander outside" (see extravagant). Figurative sense of "to wander from the path of rectitude" is attested from early 14c. Related: Strayed; straying.

"domestic animal found wandering," early 13c., from Anglo-French noun use of Old French estraié "strayed, riderless," past participle adjective from estraier "to roam, drift, run loose" (see stray (v.)).

c.1600, of animals; 19c. of persons and things, from stray (n.) and in part a shortening of astray.

1. 1 Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a stray horse or sheep. 2 In the wrong place; misplaced. n. 1 Any domestic animal that has an enclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray. 2 (context figuratively English) One who is lost, either literally or metaphorically. 3 The act of wandering or going astray. 4 (context historical English) An area of common land or place administered for the use of general domestic animals, i.e. "the stray" v

2. 1 (context intransitive English) To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way. 2 (context intransitive English) To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray. 3 (context intransitive figurative English) To wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err. 4 (context transitive English) To cause to stray.

adj. not close together in time; "isolated instances of rebellion"; "scattered fire"; "a stray bullet grazed his thigh" [syn: isolated, scattered]

1. n. homeless cat [syn: alley cat]

2. v. 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" [syn: roll, wander, swan, tramp, roam, cast, ramble, rove, range, drift, vagabond]

3. 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" [syn: err, drift]

4. lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject 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" [syn: digress, divagate, wander]

Stray is a novel by A. N. Wilson. It is a precursor to his picture book The Tabitha Stories, as it follows the life of Tabitha's father. The book was published in Great Britain in 1987, by Walker Books and was re-published in the United States by Orchard Books in 1989. Stray is dedicated to "A.L.R," who "reserved his kindest comments for a cat."

Stray may refer to:

• A feral (abandoned or escaped) domestic animal; see also estray
• Areas of open grassland in North Yorkshire:
  • Strays of York
  • The Stray, an area of open grassland in Harrogate
  • The Stray, an area of open grassland in Redcar

Stray is an English hard rock band formed in 1966. Vocalist Steve Gadd (born 27 April 1952, Shepherd's Bush, London), guitarist Del Bromham (born Derek Roy Bromham, 25 November 1951, Acton, London), bass player Gary Giles (born Gary Stephen Giles, 23 February 1952, North Kensington, London) and drummer Steve Crutchley (born c 1952) formed the band whilst all were attending the Christopher Wren School in London. Richard "Ritchie" Cole (born 10 November 1951, Shepherd's Bush, London) replaced Crutchley in 1968. They signed to Transatlantic Records in January 1970.

The group's brand of melodic, hook-laden hard rock proved to be a popular draw on the local club scene during the early 1970s. However the band did not have commercial success with its record releases. At one stage Charlie Kray (brother of the Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie), was their manager. Gadd left the band in 1975 due to artistic differences and was replaced on vocals by Pete Dyer. The groups early musical style consisted of blues rock, acid rock and psychedelic rock. They then went on to join the hard rock and progressive rock movement.

The band served as the rhythm section alongside a string orchestra for the 1975 Jimmy Helms Pye Lp Songs I Sing. The original Stray finally dissolved in 1977, although Bromham later continued to play in various resurrected versions of the project well into the 2000s.

There are two Iron Maiden connections to Stray. "All in Your Mind" from Stray's 1970 debut album was covered by Iron Maiden, and Maiden bassist Steve Harris's daughter Lauren has covered "Come On Over".

From late 2006 until early 2007, the band's back catalogue of eight studio albums issued originally during the 1970s, were re-released by the UK based Sanctuary Records in compact disc format. The new releases were remastered and had bonus tracks culled from single B-sides, studio outtakes and BBC broadcast sessions.

Stray is the fourth album by British group Aztec Camera, released in June 1990 on the Sire Records label.

Stray was praised for its diversity of songs and styles, and for the assured nature of Roddy Frame's lyrics (which had been considered the weak-point of some of his earlier material). Its understated production was also received positively, particularly coming after the group's previous album Love, which sold well in the United Kingdom but had been criticised by some for being too sanitised and glossy.

Stray peaked at No. 22 on the albums chart. The single "Good Morning Britain", a collaboration with Mick Jones, reached No. 19.