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# stray

adjective (a stray dog); noun (a stray, strays); verb (stray, strays, strayed, straying)

«stray» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A stray animal is a pet like a dog or cat that is lost or has no home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#m1)
2. A stray is such a lost or homeless animal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#m2)
3. To stray is to wander away from where you should be, like straying from a path. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#m3)
4. Stray can describe one thing that is away from the others, like a stray hair or a stray sock. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#m4)
5. A stray shot is a bullet or shot that goes wide of its target and hits something by accident. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#m5)

### In the lessons

In safety lessons: do not touch stray dogs; tell an adult, because a stray may be scared or ill and could bite. In stories and walks: «Do not stray from the path». In everyday life, a stray ball or stray sock is one in the wrong place. Phrases: «stray from», «stray cat», «stray thought».

### Examples

- A stray dog followed us home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x1)
- Animal shelters look after strays. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x2)
- Don't stray from the path in the woods. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x3)
- The sheep had strayed into the road. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x4)
- She brushed a stray hair off her face. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x5)
- I found a stray sock under the bed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x6)
- Never stroke a stray cat; it might scratch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x7)
- Another's stray shot had killed the deer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/#x8)

### Note

Regular verb: «strayed». Stray is an adjective, a noun and a verb, so look at its place in the sentence. Do not confuse with «spray» or «straw». Safety: keep away from unknown animals.

## In Jewish tradition

To stray is to wander away from the right path. The prophets use it for the people turning away from God and His ways, like sheep wandering from a shepherd.

**Interpretation.** The prophets Isaiah and Hosea use it as a picture of Israel leaving God. The tradition reads this as a call to return, since God still waits for His people to come back.

### Examples

- On what part will ye yet be stricken, seeing ye stray away more and more? (Prophets ISA.1.5, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/stray/#x1)
- Woe unto them! for they have strayed from Me; Destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against Me; Shall I then redeem them, seeing they have spoken lies against Me? (Prophets HOS.7.13, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/stray/#x2)

### Note

Regular verb: «strayed». Stray is an adjective, a noun and a verb, so look at its place in the sentence. Do not confuse with «spray» or «straw». Safety: keep away from unknown animals.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «stray» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/stray/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«stray» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/stray.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «stray» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/stray/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«stray» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/stray.html) on Mova free.