Meanings
strand1
plural strands · alternative obsolete strond
- The shore or beach of the sea or ocean.
Grand Strand
2 more examples
A woman that wandring in our coaſtes hath bought / A plot for price: where ſhe a citie ſet: / To whom we gaue the ſtrond for to manure.
1557 July 1, Virgil, “The Second Boke of Virgiles Aenæis”, in Henry [Howard, Earl] of Surrey, transl., edited by William Bolland, Certain Bokes of Virgiles Aenaeis, Turned into English Meter ([Roxburghe Club Publications; I]), London: […] A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1814, →OCLCThey rowed about a League; and then ſet me down on a Strand.
1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Sets out as Captain of a Ship. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms), page 159 - archaicdialectalpoeticThe shore or beach of a lake or river.
- A street.
present singular third person strands · participle present stranding · participle past stranded · past stranded
- figurativelytransitiveball gamesTo cause the third out of an inning to be made, leaving a runner on base.
Jones pops up; that's going to strand a pair.
- transitivegrammarTo leave an element (e.g., an adposition) without its complement adjacent to it.
We first note that wh-movement can freely strand prepositions in Icelandic, as in the other Scandinavian languages.
1985, Joan Maling, Annie Zaenen, “Preposition-Stranding and Passive”, in Nordic Journal of Linguistics, volume 8, number 2, →DOI, page 1991 more example
In her dissertation, Goldberg (2005) offers a review of diagnostics used to identify verb-stranding VPE to that point, including tests which link the characteristics of English-style VPE (which strands an auxiliary verb) to verb-stranding VPE in languages like Hebrew and Irish.
2021, Emily Manetta, “Verb-second and the verb-stranding verb phrase ellipsis debate”, in Glossa: a journal of general linguistics, volume 6, number 1, →DOI, page 6
strand2
plural strands
- A string.
- An individual length of any fine, string-like substance.
strand of hair
1 more example
strand of spaghetti
- businessA group of wires, usually twisted or braided.
- broadcastingA series of programmes on a particular theme or linked subject.
By 1985, the children's strand had been renamed Children's BBC (CBBC by the mid-1990s), which continued to show animation among other programming in a dedicated time slot.
2020, Nichola Dobson, Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons, page 45 - figurativelyAn element in a composite whole; a sequence of linked events or facts; a logical thread.
strand of truth
3 more examples
The explanation draws equally from other contemporary strands of political and social theory.
2001, Bernard E. Harcourt, chapter 6, in Illusion of OrderShe responds to both questions in writing and checks her answer on the fact question. Her suspicions confirmed about the importance of the two names, Miranda vows to pay close attention to this strand of the story as she continues to read.
2004, David Wray, Literacy: Major Themes in Education, Taylor & Francis, →ISBN, page 78The concept of a combined authority headed by an elected Mayor is a key strand in current transport development, and is driving a new generation of projects such as bringing rail connectivity to Portishead and stations served by the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
2024 August 21, 'Industry Insider', “The value of rail reopenings”, in RAIL, number 1016, page 68 - biologyA nucleotide chain.
- PhilippinesformaleducationA specialization of a senior high school track.
present singular third person strands · participle present stranding · participle past stranded · past stranded
- transitiveTo break a strand of (a rope).
- transitiveTo form by uniting strands.
Strand3
plural Strands
- countableuncountableA surname.
- countableuncountableA street in Westminster running from Trafalgar Square to Fleet Street.
- countableuncountableAn area surrounding the street in central London, Greater London, England.
- countableuncountableA municipality of Rogaland, Norway.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo run aground; to beach.
nounSynonym of track.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
strand · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*sterh₃-“to broaden, spread out”
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)trAnt-“strand, border, field”
- Proto-Germanic*strandō“edge, rim, shore”
- Proto-West Germanic*strand
- Old Englishstrand“strand, sea-shore, shore”
- Middle Englishstrand
- Englishstrand
* From Middle English strand, strond, from Old English strand (“strand, sea-shore, shore”), from Proto-West Germanic *strand, from Proto-Germanic *strandō (“edge, rim, shore”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)trAnt- (“strand, border, field”), from Proto-Indo-European *sterh₃- (“to broaden, spread out”). Cognate with West Frisian strân, German Strand (“beach”), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish strand (“beach”), Faroese strond (“beach”), Icelandic strönd (“beach”). * (street): Perhaps from the similarity of shape.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →strand · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*strēy-
- Proto-Germanic*strinô“strip, strand”
- Proto-West Germanic*strenō
- Old High Germanstreno
- Middle High Germanstren
- Old Frenchestran“a rope, cord”
- Middle English*stran
- Englishstrand
Origin uncertain. Cognate with Scots stran, strawn, strand (“strand”). Perhaps the same as strand ("rivulet, stream, gutter"; see Etymology 1 above); or from Middle English *stran, from Old French estran (“a rope, cord”), from Middle High German stren, strene (“skein, strand”), from Old High German streno, from Proto-West Germanic *strenō, from Proto-Germanic *strinô (“strip, strand”), from Proto-Indo-European *strēy-, *ster- (“strip, line, streak, ray, stripe, row”); related to Dutch streng (“skein, hank of thread, strand, string”), German Strähne (“skein, hank of thread, strand of hair”). Compare also Old High German stranga (“strand of hair”), modern German Strang (“strand, thread, cord”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Middle High German
Full word history & related roots →Strand · proper noun
So called after the north strand (i.e. shore) of the river Thames.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek αἰγιαλός, ῥηγμίν
- αἰγιαλός (aigialós)beach
- ῥηγμίν (rhēgmín)beach
Bulgarian бряг, крайбрежие
- бряг (brjag)beach
- крайбрежие (krajbrežie)beach
- засядам (zasjadam)to run aground
- нищка (ništka)each of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- връв (vrăv)string
- кичур (kičur)individual length of string-like substance
- усуквам (usukvam)to form by uniting strands
Catalan platja, floc
- platjabeach
- flocindividual length of string-like substance
Chinese Mandarin 海滨, 懸空 /悬空
- 海滨 (hǎibīn)beach
- 懸空 /悬空 (xuánkōng)(grammar) to leave an element without its object
- 綹 /绺 (liǔ)individual length of string-like substance
- 一綹頭髮 /一绺头发 (yī liǔ tóufa)individual length of string-like substance
- 链 (liàn)genetics: nucleotide chain
Czech pláž, břeh
- plážbeach
- břehbeach
- vláknoeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- žílaeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- pramenindividual length of string-like substance
- pramínekindividual length of string-like substance
Danish strand
- strandbeach
Dutch strand, stranden
- strandbeach
- strandento run aground
Esperanto strando, kablero
- strandobeach
- kableroeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- fadenostring
Estonian rand
- randbeach
Finnish ranta, ajaa karille
- rantabeach
- ajaa karilleto run aground
- jättää heitteilleto leave someone in a difficult situation
- hylätäto leave someone in a difficult situation
- säieeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- säiestring
- jännestring
- hiusindividual length of string-like substance
- pätkäindividual length of string-like substance
- johdinelectronics: group of wires, usually twisted or braided
- sarjabroadcasting:series of programmes on a particular theme
- juonnefiguratively: element in a composite whole; sequence of linked events or facts; a logical thread
- ketjufiguratively: element in a composite whole; sequence of linked events or facts; a logical thread
- ketjugenetics: nucleotide chain
- punoato form by uniting strands
French grève, échouer
- grèvebeach
- échouerto run aground
- échouer(grammar) to leave an element without its object
- abandonnerto leave someone in a difficult situation
- brineach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- toroneach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- cordelettestring
- mècheindividual length of string-like substance
- bringenetics: nucleotide chain
German Strand, im Stich lassen
- Strandbeach
- im Stich lassento leave someone in a difficult situation
- Strangstring
- Strähneindividual length of string-like substance
- Stranggenetics: nucleotide chain
Hebrew גְּדִיל
- גְּדִיל (gdil)each of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
Hindi तागा, धागा
- तागा (tāgā)each of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- धागा (dhāgā)each of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- तागा (tāgā)string
- धागा (dhāgā)string
- धागा (dhāgā)individual length of string-like substance
- रेशा (reśā)individual length of string-like substance
Hungarian tengerpart
- tengerpartbeach
Icelandic strönd
- ströndbeach
Irish trá
- trábeach
Italian spiaggia, battigia
- spiaggiabeach
- battigiabeach
- bagnasciugabeach
- incagliarsito run aground
- spiaggiareto run aground
- abbandonareto leave someone in a difficult situation
- filoeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- filostring
- filamentostring
- cioccaindividual length of string-like substance
- filamentogenetics: nucleotide chain
Latvian pludmale
- pludmalebeach
Lithuanian sruoga
- sruogaindividual length of string-like substance
Malay pantai
- pantaibeach
Māori tātahi, tuaone
- tātahibeach
- tuaonebeach
- tāhunabeach
- onetaibeach
- whakapaeto run aground
- whakakukūto run aground
- whakamahueto leave someone in a difficult situation
- whakarereto leave someone in a difficult situation
- kanoieach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- kāwiriwirieach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- ioeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- whenueach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- kāwaieach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- mimireeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- hotahotaeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- kanoistring
Norwegian strand
- strandbeach
Persian تار, طره
- تار (târ)individual length of string-like substance
- طره (torre)individual length of string-like substance
- ترنه (torne)individual length of string-like substance
Polish plaża, kosmyk
- plażabeach
- kosmykindividual length of string-like substance
Portuguese praia, encalhar
- praiabeach
- encalharto run aground
- abandonarto leave someone in a difficult situation
- cordelstring
- madeixaindividual length of string-like substance
- mechaindividual length of string-like substance
- fitagenetics: nucleotide chain
Romanian plajă, țărm
- plajăbeach
- țărmbeach
- fireach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- șiragstring
- șuvițăindividual length of string-like substance
Russian бе́рег, пля́ж
- бе́рег (béreg)beach
- пля́ж (pljáž)beach
- сесть на мель (sestʹ na melʹ)to run aground
- высадиться (vysaditʹsja)to run aground
- бросить (brositʹ)to leave someone in a difficult situation
- бросить на произвол судьбы (brositʹ na proizvol sudʹby)to leave someone in a difficult situation
- оставить в беде (ostavitʹ v bede)to leave someone in a difficult situation
- подставить (podstavitʹ)to leave someone in a difficult situation
- жи́ла (žíla)each of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- нить (nitʹ)each of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- пря́дь (prjádʹ)individual length of string-like substance
- цепь (cepʹ)genetics: nucleotide chain
- цепочка (cepočka)genetics: nucleotide chain
- связывать (svjazyvatʹ)to form by uniting strands
Scottish Gaelic tràigh
- tràighbeach
Slovak pláž, uviaznúť (na plytčine)
- plážbeach
- uviaznúť (na plytčine)to run aground
- opustiťto leave someone in a difficult situation
- vláknostring
- žilastring
- prameň vlasovindividual length of string-like substance
Spanish playa, varar
- playabeach
- vararto run aground
- abandonarto leave someone in a difficult situation
- hebraeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- filásticaeach of strings that make up yarn, rope or cord
- hebrastring
- estoperolstring
- pequeño mechónindividual length of string-like substance
- peloindividual length of string-like substance
- briznaindividual length of string-like substance
- brinzaindividual length of string-like substance
- cadenagenetics: nucleotide chain
- hebragenetics: nucleotide chain
Swedish strand, sträng
- strandbeach
- strängstring
- stråindividual length of string-like substance
- snoto form by uniting strands
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with strand
Cite this entry
strand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strand
“strand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strand. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “strand,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strand.
Source: strand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.