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Stray vs Digress - What's the difference?

stray | digress |

In intransitive terms the difference between stray and digress

is that stray is to wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray while digress is to turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend.

As a noun stray

is any domestic animal that has an enclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray.

As an adjective stray

is having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a stray horse or sheep.

stray

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any domestic animal that has an enclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray.
  • (figuratively) One who is lost, either literally or metaphorically.
  • The act of wandering or going astray.
  • (historical) An area of common land or place administered for the use of general domestic animals, i.e. "the stray"
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.
  • * Denham
  • Thames among the wanton valleys strays .
  • To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray.
  • (figurative) To wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.
  • * November 2 2014 , Daniel Taylor, " Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk
  • It was a derby that left Manchester United a long way back in Manchester City’s wing-mirrors and, in the worst moments, straying dangerously close to being their own worst enemy.
  • To cause to stray.
  • * 1591 , , V. i. 51:
  • Hath not else his eye / Strayed his affection in unlawful love,

    Synonyms

    * deviate

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a stray horse or sheep.
  • In the wrong place; misplaced.
  • a stray comma

    Derived terms

    * stray line * stray mark

    References

    Anagrams

    * * *

    digress

    English

    Verb

    (es)
  • To step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking.
  • * Holland
  • Moreover she beginneth to digress in latitude.
  • * John Locke
  • In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term.
  • * {{quote-song
  • , year = 1959 , title = In Old Mexico , composer = (Tom Lehrer) , passage = For I hadn't had so much fun since the day / my brother's dog Rover / got run over. / (Rover was killed by a Pontiac. And it was done with such grace and artistry that the witnesses awarded the driver both ears and the tail – but I digress .) }}
  • To turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Thy abundant goodness shall excuse / This deadly blot on thy digressing son.

    Synonyms

    * (turn from the course of argument) sidetrack