strayed

1. 1
   verb

   Past tense and past participle of stray.

   The meeting soon strayed from the budget to office gossip.

   A few sheep had strayed beyond the fence during the night.

   Note

   Stray keeps its y before -ed, as play and pray do, so strayed serves as the simple past and the past participle alike. It usually takes no object and comes with from, off or beyond, naming what was left behind: strayed from the point, strayed off the trail. Said of conduct, it means turning from what is right, as in he had strayed from his duty.

2. 2
   adjective

   Having lost the way and wandered off; astray.

   The shepherd left the flock to search for one strayed lamb.

   Rangers led the strayed hikers back to camp before dark.

   Similarlost, wandering

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