Stray vs Swan - What's the difference?
stray | swan |
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"
To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.
* Denham
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, "
To cause to stray.
* 1591 , , V. i. 51:
Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a stray horse or sheep.
In the wrong place; misplaced.
Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus , most of which have white plumage.
(figuratively) One whose grace etc. suggests a swan.
(British) To travel or move about in an aimless, idle, or pretentiously casual way.
* 2010 , Lee Rourke, The Canal , Melville House Publishing (2010), ISBN 9781935554905,
* 2013 , Tilly Bagshawe, One Summer’s Afternoon , HarperCollins (2013), ISBN 9780007472550,
(US, slang) To declare (chiefly in first-person present constructions).
* 1907 December, J. D. Archer, Foiling an eavesdropper'', in ''Telephony , volume 14, page 345:
* 1940 , (Raymond Chandler), Farewell, My Lovely , Penguin 2010, page 214:
As nouns the difference between stray and swan
is that stray is any domestic animal that has an enclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray while swan is (soccer) someone connected with , as a fan, player, coach, etc.As a verb stray
is to wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.As an adjective stray
is having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a stray horse or sheep.As a proper noun swan is
.stray
English
Noun
(en noun)Verb
(en verb)- Thames among the wanton valleys strays .
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.
- Hath not else his eye / Strayed his affection in unlawful love,
Synonyms
* deviateAdjective
(-)- a stray comma
Derived terms
* stray line * stray markReferences
Anagrams
* * *swan
English
(wikipedia swan)Etymology 1
From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .Noun
(en-noun)Derived terms
* swanling * swan species: black swan, black-necked swan, mute swan, trumpeter swan, tundra swan, whooper swan * swan boat * swan dive * swanherd * swannery * swansdown * swanskin * swan songSee also
* cob (adult male) * cygnet (epicene, young) * lamentation * pen (adult female)Verb
(swann)unnumbered page:
- He swans' around that stinking office in his expensive clothes that are a little too tight for comfort, he ' swans around that stinking office without a care in the world.
unnumbered page:
- One of the few strokes of good luck Emma had had in recent days was the news that Tatiana Flint-Hamilton, her only real rival for top billing as 'most photographable girl' at today's event had decided to swan off to Sardinia instead, leaving the limelight entirely to Emma.
Usage notes
* In the sense "to travel", usually used as part of the phrase "to swan about" or "to swan around".Etymology 2
Probably from dialectal , contraction of "I shall warrant"; later seen as a minced form of (term).Verb
(swann)- "Well, I swan , man, I had a better opinion of you than that."
- ‘She slammed the door so hard I figured a window'd break .’ ‘I swan ,’ I said.
