noun a domestic animal that is wandering or has escaped
verb to move away aimlessly from a group or from the right course or place
adjective not in the right place; separated from the group or proper place
adverb in a way that is not planned or controlled
In mathematics, 'stray' can be used to describe a data point or outlier that does not fit the overall pattern or trend of a dataset.
In urban planning, 'stray' can refer to stray animals but also to objects or items that are left or abandoned in public spaces, such as stray shopping carts or stray pieces of trash.
In the field of animal welfare, the word 'stray' is used to describe an animal, typically a dog or cat, that is lost or has wandered away from its home or owner.
In programming, 'stray' can refer to a line of code or variable that is not part of the main program flow or logic, often indicating an error or oversight.
In the context of a writer, 'stray' may refer to stray thoughts or stray characters that do not fit into the main narrative of a story.
A psychologist may use 'stray' to describe thoughts or behaviors that deviate from the norm and may indicate underlying mental health issues.
For an animal control officer, 'stray' typically refers to a lost or abandoned animal that needs to be captured and taken to a shelter.
In urban planning, 'stray' can refer to stray objects or structures that do not conform to the overall design or layout of a city.
Software developers may use 'stray' to describe stray lines of code that are not part of the intended program and may cause errors or bugs.
In civil engineering, 'stray' could refer to stray currents in electrical systems or stray debris on construction sites that need to be cleared.
An accountant may use 'stray' to describe stray expenses or income that do not fit into the regular financial records of a business.
In a legal context, 'stray' may refer to stray remarks or arguments made by a party that are not relevant to the case at hand.