stray

stray · noun¹

1. Old French · derived fromestrai
2. Anglo-Norman · derived fromestray
3. Middle English · inherited fromstray
4. English todaystray

From Middle English stray, strey, from Anglo-Norman estray, stray, Old French estrai, from the verb (see below).

stray · verb²

1. Old English · inherited fromstrēġan“to strew”
2. Middle English · derived fromstrien
3. Vulgar Latin · derived fromvia strata
4. Old French · derived fromestraier
5. Middle English · inherited fromstrayen
6. English todaystray

From Middle English strayen, partly from Old French estraier, from Vulgar Latin via strata, and partly from Middle English strien, streyen, streyȝen (“to spread, scatter”), from Old English strēġan (“to strew”).

stray · adjective³

1. Middle English · inherited fromstray
2. English todaystray

From Middle English stray, from the noun (see above).

Words from the same roots