stray

Universal Words verb, adjective, noun verb [V] 1 [usually +adv./prep.] to move away from the place where you should be, without intending to: He strayed into the path of an oncoming car. * Her eyes kept straying over to the clock on the wall. * His hand strayed to the telephone. * Her parents fear that, living in this neighbourhood, she might stray into the wrong company. * He can't have strayed far. * I strayed a few blocks in the wrong direction and became hopelessly lost. 2 [usually +adv./prep.] to begin to think about or discuss a different subject from the one you should be thinking about or discussing: My mind kept straying back to our last talk together. * We seem to be straying from the main theme of the debate. * The conversation had begun to stray into dangerous territory. 3 (of a person who is married or in a relationship) to have a sexual relationship with sb who is not your usual partner: It had never occurred to her that her husband might stray while he was away on business. adjective [onlybeforenoun] 1 (of animals normally kept as pets) lost from home; having no home: stray dogs / cats 2 separated from other things or people of the same kind: A civilian was killed by a stray bullet. * a few stray hairs noun 1 an animal that has got lost or separated from its owner or that has no owner seealsoWAIF 2 a person or thing that is not in the right place or is separated from others of the same kind