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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Straying

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.

Wiktionary
straying

n. The act of one who strays; deviation or sin. vb. (present participle of stray English)

WordNet
straying

adj. unable to find your way; "found the straying sheep"

Usage examples of "straying".

I watched the woods as I spoke, my eyes straying along the tree front.

We rode steadily westward, and there was no talk between us, although, worried as I was about him, my eyes kept straying his way.

Meanwhile, keeping a watch out and seeing none of the cattle got to straying, I thought about Logan.

Shorty, you stay close to the wagons with Baptiste unless you see some of the stock straying too far.

Anyway, Coley here, he had a way of straying into new pastures hisself, so Talon named him.

His straying eyes had picked out one of Zaya Yateem's personal guards.

What did my straying, cat hunting old boyfriend have to say that was so important you had him call here?

He sat down and clamped the earphones over his head, his eyes straying to the reel of tape.

He hung up the phone, his eyes straying to the small, ugly tattoo on the underside of his forearm.

They stayed on the lighted main path, straying now and then across the floodlit lawns but always visible, a crotchety old man supposedly walking wherever his whims led him, to the annoyance of his companion.

Her three year-old had such a perverse habit of straying that the distraught mother had taken to tying him to an old dog run.

She was getting corrupted by her passengers, straying into non-regulation and non-approved ways of thinking.

The tougher ones supplied him with stout rope to secure Delky when he didn't want her straying from the cave.

The thought came out of nowhere and she dropped her pen, her hand straying over her flat stomach, and she wondered.

As he had before, he made it perfectly clear that he was with Claire and had no intention of straying from her side.