stray
Roam without direction
Stray describes something that has wandered from where it belongs.
A stray dog or cat has no owner or home.
A stray bullet hits an unintended target.
A stray thought wanders into consciousness unbidden.
As a noun, a stray is an animal without an owner: The shelter takes in strays.
To stray is to wander off course or deviate: The conversation strayed into politics.
Travel without fixed purpose
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- meanderTo travel without direction
- rambleMove or speak without direction
- strollRelaxed walk for enjoyment
amble · saunter · rove · range · traipse · gallivant · peregrinate · vagabond
Change course suddenly
- divergeSeparate into directions
- digressStray from the topic
- swerveAbrupt directional change
- departLeave a place
detour · err · divert · drift off · wander off · sidestep · tangent · off-track
Wild after domestication
- homelessWithout a dwelling
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- shelterProtected place or structure
- rescueSave from harm
adoptable · runaway · unowned · ownerless · collarless · unclaimed · foundling · waif
Separated from others
- randomOccurring without pattern
- sporadicOccurring irregularly, infrequently
- occasionalHappening at intervals
- oddUnusual or not even
errant · lone · single · solitary · sparse · few · infrequent · wayward
Not present, whereabouts unknown
- misplacedPut in wrong location
- separatedPut or kept apart
- disorientedLacking sense of direction
- vanishedDisappeared from sight
gone · misdirected · unfound · wayward · displaced · adrift · unaccounted · stranded
Departure from the expected
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- exceptionDeviation from standard
- deviationDeparture from expected path
- odditySomething unusual or unexpected
maverick · misfit · rogue · atypical · unconventional · nonconformist · eccentric · irregular
roam
Travel without fixed purpose
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- meanderTo travel without direction
- rambleMove or speak without direction
stroll · amble · saunter · rove · range · traipse · gallivant · peregrinate · vagabond · nomadic
veer
Change course suddenly
depart · detour · err · divert · drift off · wander off · sidestep · tangent · off-track · off-course
feral
Wild after domestication
rescue · adoptable · runaway · unowned · ownerless · collarless · unclaimed · foundling · waif · mutt
isolated
Separated from others
- randomOccurring without pattern
- sporadicOccurring irregularly, infrequently
- occasionalHappening at intervals
odd · errant · lone · single · solitary · sparse · few · infrequent · wayward · accidental
missing
Not present, whereabouts unknown
- misplacedPut in wrong location
- separatedPut or kept apart
- disorientedLacking sense of direction
vanished · gone · misdirected · unfound · wayward · displaced · adrift · unaccounted · stranded · confused
anomaly
Departure from the expected
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- exceptionDeviation from standard
- deviationDeparture from expected path
oddity · maverick · misfit · rogue · atypical · unconventional · nonconformist · eccentric · irregular · divergent
- catscat, kitten, kitty, feline, tabby
- Off Tracklost, detour, tangent, sidetrack, digression
- rescue dogsrescue dog, shelter dog, foster dog, street dog, abuse survivor
- animal shelteranimal shelter, shelter worker, shelter cat, animal control, humane society
- street childrenurchin, waif, gamin, guttersnipe, ragamuffin
- digressionsdigression, tangent, aside, sidetrack, detour
straysystematic
Following ordered procedures
organized · orderly · regular · methodical · patterned
- stray catHomeless roaming feline
- stray dogAbandoned roaming canine
- stray bulletUnintended gunshot hitting bystanders
- stray kittenAbandoned young cat
- stray animalsUnowned wandering creatures
- stray from the path