stray

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waifs and strays

People or animals that are in need of a place to stay. "Waif" commonly refers to a person or animal that has been abandoned. It's heartbreaking to see so many waifs and strays wandering the city streets, with no one to care for them.

stray in

1. To wander in(to some place), especially when one is not supposed to be there. Make sure not to leave the back doors open, or feral cats will stray in during the night. Some child strayed in the laboratory and began fiddling with the sensitive machinery inside.

2. To wander aimlessly around some place. A noun or pronoun can be used between "stray" and "in." Don't let the children stray in the forest, or they will surely get lost. We were just idly straying in the field, admiring the silence of the falling snow.

See also: stray

stray into (some place)

To wander into some place, especially when one is not supposed to be there. Make sure not to leave the back doors open, or feral cats will stray in during the night. Some child strayed in the laboratory and began fiddling with the sensitive machinery inside.

See also: stray

stray on

1. To wander on(to something or some place), especially when one is not supposed to be there. I keep an electrified fence around my fields to keep wild animals from straying on at night. Be sure not to stray on Old Man Cratchit's land—he's liable to shoot you if he catches you!

2. To wander around on some area or piece of land. We spent the afternoon straying idly on the beach. I watched the kids straying on the field across the street, trying to catch the falling snow on their tongues.

stray onto (some place)

To wander onto something or some place, especially when one is not supposed to be there. I keep an electrified fence around my fields to keep wild animals from straying onto it at night. Be sure not to stray onto Old Man Cratchit's land—he's liable to shoot you if he catches you!

See also: stray

stray (away) (from something)

to drift away from or wander away from a particular topic or location. (The option elements cannot be transposed.) Please don't stray from the general area of discussion. Sally strayed away from her topic a number of times.

stray in(to something)

to wander into something. The deer strayed into the town and ruined almost everyone's garden. We left the gate open, and the cows strayed in and drank from the pond.

See also: stray

stray onto something

to wander onto an area, such as a parcel of land. Your cows strayed onto my land and ate my marigolds! If your horse strays onto my land one more time, it's my horse!

See also: stray

ˌwaifs and ˈstrays

1 people with no home, especially children in a big city: There are lots of waifs and strays living on the streets here.
2 (humorous) lonely people with nowhere else to go: My wife is always inviting various waifs and strays from work to our house. She seems to attract them.

See also: and, stray

References in periodicals archive ?

A total of 22 stray bullet cases were reported, with one death.

New Year festivities in NCR 'pleasant, peaceful' Albayalde

Ms Rehman, aged 32, said if stray dogs were caught and neutered then the phenomenon would be eradicated in the next five years.

Online campaign launched to save unadopted stray dogs

Safe Haven will be funded by the Umm Al Quwain Municipality and the Stray Dogs Centre (UAQ).

Coming soon: Safe Haven for stray dogs

Animal wardens, who were based at the old animal shelter, will work across the county borough, responding to calls about stray dogs during office hours, as well as promoting responsible dog ownership and supporting residents who may have dog-related concerns, such as barking or dog fouling.

Charity unveils improved stray dog rescue centre

Stray dogs may become dangerous for the public as well as other animals when they become a pack, as they might express aggressive behaviour, she claimed.

Steps being taken to control stray dogs in Engomi

The sender shall identify the exact location, like the street and barangay, where the pictures of the stray dogs were taken;

A city with a heart of gold for stray dogs

Residents have responded by hunting down the strays.

Two Syrians, one a child, hospitalized by stray dog

e cash-strapped council is axing its out-of-hours service from April 1, meaning dog wardens will only be available to collect strays between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday.

Council will not collect stray dogs out of hours; Find an animal and you could have to look after it for night or weekend

Egypt's streets are notorious for their population of stray animals that roam the streets and become intertwined with public life.

HEPCA Calls for Volunteers in Hurghada

When we reached the barn which is close to my farm, we found seven stray dogs biting into the dead animals.

Pack of stray dogs attack cattle in Ras Al Khaimah

Sources said Jung noticed several stray dogs loitering in and around the premises Lok Nayak Hospital and G.

L- G orders sterilisation of dogs

Mr Ayrapetyan saw a post on Facebook that Russian authorities had plans to shoot stray cats and dogs on the eve of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Sochi Olympics Clean-up: Russian Man Shelters Stray Dogs to Save Them from Russian Company with a License to Kill

This is a drop compared to the previous year, when 575 stray dogs were picked up by dog wardens.

Don't lose your dog - get it micro-chipped; New figures for number of strays on Teesside are released

DOHA THE Ministry of Environment (MoE) is working with various complexes to control stray animals, Dr Youssery Radwan, expert and consultant at the Animal Resources Department (ARD), told Qatar Tribune.

MoE, complexes join hands to control stray cats

A UNIQUE social prescribing initiative has meant that stray dogs who had faced the bleak prospect of being put down are helping people live happier lives.