From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstraystray1 /streɪ/ ●○○ verb [intransitive] 1 GOto move away from the place you should bestray into/onto/from Three of the soldiers strayed into enemy territory.2 SUBJECTto begin to deal with or think about a different subject from the main one, without intending tostray 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 tostray 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→ 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.straystray2 ●○○ 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 home2 SEPARATEaccidentally separated from other things of the same kind One man was hit by a stray bullet and taken to hospital.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.straystray3 noun [countable] 1 HBALOST/DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU AREan animal that is lost or has no home2 informalSEPARATE someone or something that has become separated from others of the same kind → 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” 