stray

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++stray1 /streɪ/ ●○○ verb [intransitive]  1  GOto move away from the place you should be 走离；走失，迷路stray into/onto/from Three of the soldiers strayed into enemy territory. 三名士兵误入敌军阵地。2  SUBJECTto begin to deal with or think about a different subject from the main one, without intending to 离题stray into/onto/from We’re straying into ethnic issues here. 我们现在已偏离主题，讨论起种族问题了。 This meeting is beginning to stray from the point. 会议开始偏离主题了。3  if your eyes stray, you begin to look at something else, usually without intending to 〔眼睛〕走神，看往别处stray to/back/over etc Her eyes strayed to the clock. 她的目光移到了钟上。4. to start doing something that is wrong or immoral, when usually you do not do this 入歧途；犯错误；犯罪；堕落→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

stray• Do women instinctively want to find a mate and never stray?• It's still no guarantee that he won't stray.• An antimatter atom that strays and touches the container wall would set off a chain-reaction annihilation.• I have perhaps strayed away from matters of industry.• They were allowed little opportunity to stray from their group.• But many other speakers and writers stray into the firing line.• Fowler may have been 25 yards out but you could see his antennae pick out Bennett straying off his line.• A number of Charles's men were killed because they had strayed out of formation.stray into/onto/from• These shy creatures may sometimes be seen and have been known to stray on to the road, startling passing motorists.• For all his bold chivalry this watchful Celt seems surely to have strayed from a wayside pulpit.• At least 44 percent admit straying into another man's bed, the majority of them thirtysomething career women.• Three of the soldiers strayed into enemy territory.• Getting a good education was paramount in my family ethos, and I should not stray from it, I decided.• Steinhardt strayed from pitch in the perky finale of K. 160; cellist David Soyer nibbled at notes.• Wisely, Vineria does not stray from proven success.• Gates says he tries not to stray too far from talking about technology.• Red learned never to stray from the path or talk to strangers again.• His body was left to rot as a warning to others who might be tempted to stray from those paths of righteousness.stray into/onto/from• These shy creatures may sometimes be seen and have been known to stray on to the road, startling passing motorists.• For all his bold chivalry this watchful Celt seems surely to have strayed from a wayside pulpit.• At least 44 percent admit straying into another man's bed, the majority of them thirtysomething career women.• Getting a good education was paramount in my family ethos, and I should not stray from it, I decided.• Steinhardt strayed from pitch in the perky finale of K. 160; cellist David Soyer nibbled at notes.• Wisely, Vineria does not stray from proven success.• Red learned never to stray from the path or talk to strangers again.• His body was left to rot as a warning to others who might be tempted to stray from those paths of righteousness.stray to/back/over etc• What would it be like to feel those lips stray over her body in warm and tender exploration?• McAllister could not prevent her eyes from straying to his newspaper.• He kissed me full on the mouth, one hand at my back, the other straying to my behind.• Leonora counted stitches for a moment, then let her eyes stray over Penry Vaughan's magnificent physique.• The girl's body was curved and slender and my hands were straying to the ribbons on her bodice.• And somehow she couldn't stop her gaze from straying to the triangle of naked chest where his shirt buttons were open.• Why did his mind keep straying back to her?• But when you talk I stray back to your ankles in a fantasy of exploring there with my tongue.

Related topics: Animals

stray2 ●○○ adjective [only before noun]  1. HBALOST/DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU AREa stray animal, such as a dog or cat, is lost or has no home 〔动物〕走失的，迷路的；流浪的2  SEPARATEaccidentally separated from other things of the same kind 离散的；零落的 One man was hit by a stray bullet and taken to hospital. 一名男子遭流弹击中，被送往医院。

Examples from the Corpus

stray• Four people were killed by stray bullets from the shoot-out.• I was merely about to fire a blank to frighten off some stray cats.• It soon became apparent that because of an administrative oversight our vehicle had not been insured against stray cattle.• In a typical year about 40 stray Magellanic penguins used to arrive in the Rio area between June and August.• Gardeners regularly stroll the grounds, picking up stray pieces of trash and trimming unruly bushes.• A stray pixel in the eternal bit map.• a stray sock• She had been sustained by the stray wolf.

Related topics: Animals

stray3 noun [countable]  1. HBALOST/DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU AREan animal that is lost or has no home 走失[流浪]的动物2. informalSEPARATE someone or something that has become separated from others of the same kind 离开同类的人；离开原位的东西 → waifs and strays at waif(2)

Examples from the Corpus

stray• Jessica, Chris, and I rode along the creek bed looking for strays.• He was some stray who had reminded her of the Scarabae agent.• From a starving stray it was transformed into a contented house cat.• The family plans to provide a home for the strays.• It gets the undesirable strays off the streets.Origin stray1 (1200-1300) Old French estraier, from Vulgar Latin extragare, from Latin extra- “outside” + vagari “to wander”

stray1 verbstray2 adjectivestray3 nounChinese  

away move from the place to Corpus you

stray

I

stray¹ /streɪ/ verb [intransitive]1. to move away from the place you should be
    stray into/onto/from
    Three of the soldiers strayed into enemy territory.
2. to begin to deal with or think about a different subject from the main one, without intending to
    stray into/onto/from
    We’re straying into ethnic issues here.
    This meeting is beginning to stray from the point.
3. if your eyes stray, you begin to look at something else, usually without intending to
    stray to/back/over etc
    Her eyes strayed to the clock.
4. to start doing something that is wrong or immoral, when usually you do not do this

II

stray² adjective [only before noun]
1. a stray animal, such as a dog or cat, is lost or has no home
2. accidentally separated from other things of the same kind:
    One man was hit by a stray bullet and taken to hospital.

III

stray³ noun [countable]
1. an animal that is lost or has no home
2. informal someone or something that has become separated from others of the same kind
⇨ waifs and strays at waif(2)