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Stray vs Tray - What's the difference?

stray | tray |

In intransitive terms the difference between stray and tray

is that stray is to wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray while tray is to slide down a snow-covered hill on a tray from a cafeteria.

In transitive terms the difference between stray and tray

is that stray is to cause to stray while tray is to place items on a tray.

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

    * * *

    tray

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) traye, treie, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) Trouble; annoyance; anger.
  • Derived terms
    * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) trayen, treien, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To grieve; annoy.
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) treye, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Noun

    (wikipedia tray) (en noun)
  • A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, rigid object upon which things are carried.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
  • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=2 citation , passage=Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety.  She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.}}
  • A flat carrier for items being transported.
  • The items on a full tray.
  • A component of a device into which an item is placed for use in the device's operations.
  • (computing, graphical user interface, informal)  A notification area used for icons and alerts.
  • * 2007 , Brian Livingston, Paul Thurrott, Windows Vista Secrets
  • some developers try to use it that way for some reason (some applications inexplicably minimize to the tray rather than to the taskbar as they should).
    Derived terms
    * in-tray * meat tray * out-tray * tray-table * TV tray

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To place items on a tray.
  • Be sure to tray eggs with the large end up.
  • To slide down a snow-covered hill on a tray from a cafeteria.
  • Traying has provided collegiate fun and the occasional fatality for decades.

    Etymology 4

    From (etyl) trayen, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To betray.
  • Anagrams

    *