strands

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of strand.

   She braided three strands together into a tight cord.

   The two strands of the investigation finally came together.

   Note

   One spelling carries two families of meaning. Strands can be the strings twisted together into a yarn, rope or cord, and by extension the separate lines of a story or an inquiry. Or they can be shores: beaches of the sea, and, in archaic, dialectal or poetic use, the banks of a lake or river. In the dialects of Northern England and Scotland, a strand can also be a gutter.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of strand.

   A sudden storm strands hikers on the ridge nearly every winter.

   The airline strands passengers overnight whenever a major hub closes.

   Note

   Each meaning of the verb takes an object: something strands someone or something. Literally, a ship is run aground. Figuratively, a person is left stuck. Two technical uses share the form. In baseball, a batter who makes the third out strands a runner on base. In grammar, a question like "Who did you talk to?" strands its preposition. Rope-makers use it too, for breaking a rope's strand or forming one.

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