Stray
/streɪ/noun
To wander away from a fixed course, place, or group; also used as an adjective for something lost or wandering.
Did you know?English stray traces back to a Latin root meaning “to spread out, roam, or wander,” and that same ancient root also lives in words like “extravagant” and “strange.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*strǝg-
“to spread out, stretch, or roam”
Latin
Latin
extrāgāre
“to wander outside or beyond”
Old French
Old French
estrayer
“to wander, stray, go astray”
Middle English
English
straien
“to wander off, go astray”
Modern English
English
stray
“to wander away from the proper place or course”
Explore more surprising origins