strand

[ strand ]

/ strænd /

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verb (used with object)

to drive or leave (a ship, fish, etc.) aground or ashore: The receding tide stranded the whale.

(usually used in the passive) to bring into or leave in a helpless position: He was stranded in the middle of nowhere.

verb (used without object)

to be driven or left ashore; run aground.

to be halted or struck by a difficult situation: He stranded in the middle of his speech.

noun

the land bordering the sea, a lake, or a river; shore; beach.

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Origin of strand

Firstbefore 1000; Middle English noun strond(e), strand(e), Old English strand; cognate with Dutch strand, German Strand, Old Norse strǫnd; akin to strew

Words nearby strand

strake, Stralsund, stramash, stramineous, stramonium, strand, stranded, strand line, Strandloper, strand wolf, strange

Other definitions for strand (2 of 3)

strand²

[ strand ]

/ strænd /

noun

one of a number of fibers, threads, or yarns that are plaited or twisted together to form a rope, cord, or the like.

a similar part of a wire rope.

a rope made of such twisted or plaited fibers.

a fiber or filament, as in animal or plant tissue: a single strand of messenger RNA.

a thread or threadlike part of anything: the strands of a plot.

a tress of hair.

a string of pearls, beads, etc.

verb (used with object)

to form (a rope, cable, etc.) by twisting strands together.

to break one or more strands of (a rope).

Origin of strand

First recorded in 1490–1500; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM strand

strand·less, adjective

Other definitions for strand (3 of 3)

Strand

[ strand ]

/ strænd /

noun

Mark, 1934–2014, U.S. poet, born in Canada: U.S. poet laureate 1990–91.

Paul, 1890–1976, U.S. photographer and documentary-film producer.

the, a street parallel to the Thames, in W central London, England: famous for hotels and theaters.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use strand in a sentence

You can strip the red strand from a cut piece of cordage to yield flammable tinder, or leave it in place to help a strand of 550 burn even better.
This essential survival tool can save your life 10 different ways|By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life|September 15, 2020|Popular-Science
Those electrons move through the protein strands, ending up on iron in the mud.
Will bacterial ‘wires’ one day power your phone?|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 2, 2020|Science News For Students
One major barrier to inserting these incredibly tiny wires, which are thinner than a strand of human hair, is actually getting them past the skull and into the brain.
Elon Musk is one step closer to connecting a computer to your brain|Rebecca Heilweil|August 28, 2020|Vox
When the look-alike is incorporated into a growing strand of RNA, it stops production of the genetic molecule and keeps the virus from replicating.
New treatments aim to treat COVID-19 early, before it gets serious|Tina Hesman Saey|August 24, 2020|Science News

Rather than sponsoring a stage, brands like investment consultants Macro Advisory Partners and investment management firm Netwealth are sponsoring content strands.
‘Lots of halo effects’: The Financial Times’ virtual lifestyle festival pivots focus to U.S., global audience|Lucinda Southern|August 14, 2020|Digiday
Using standard methods, the cost of printing DNA could run upwards of a billion dollars or more, depending on the strand.
Design Your Own Dinosaur: The Era of Custom DNA|Justin Jones|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Later in the film, when she comes on wearing a strand of pearls, he snorts, “She looks like the queen.”
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The beads are also a risk in and of themselves if the strand breaks.
Kids Eat the Darndest Things: Laundry Pods, Teething Necklaces, and More Of The Weirdest Stuff Sending Kids to the E.R.|Russell Saunders|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A loose strand across my forearm in the morning, later one at my desk.
Birth Control Made My Hair Fall Out, and I’m Not the Only One|Molly Oswaks|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That's why Britain, as a nation, can't handle it when a strand is out of place.
Why Kate's Hair Matters|Tom Sykes|July 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It had come on to rain, and the raw dampness mingled itself with the dusky uproar of the Strand.
Confidence|Henry James
To supply the demand for galvanised signalling and fencing cords, the machines must turn out 15,000 yards of strand per day.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
With the movement a strand of the corn-gold hair came tumbling down the side of her face.
Uncanny Tales|Various
A very interesting promenade for a stranger is that to the Strand, or “Maytown,” as it is likewise called.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
It extends from the Strand to Holborn, the two principal business arteries of London.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for strand (1 of 3)

strand¹

/ (strænd) /

verb

to leave or drive (ships, fish, etc) aground or ashore or (of ships, fish, etc) to be left or driven ashore

(tr; usually passive) to leave helpless, as without transport or money, etc

noun mainly poetic

a shore or beach

a foreign country

Word Origin for strand

Old English; related to Old Norse strönd side, Middle High German strant beach, Latin sternere to spread

British Dictionary definitions for strand (2 of 3)

strand²

/ (strænd) /

noun

a set of or one of the individual fibres or threads of string, wire, etc, that form a rope, cable, etc

a single length of string, hair, wool, wire, etc

a string of pearls or beads

a constituent element in a complex wholeone strand of her argument

verb

(tr) to form (a rope, cable, etc) by winding strands together

Word Origin for strand

C15: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for strand (3 of 3)

Strand

/ (strænd) /

noun

the Strand a street in W central London, parallel to the Thames: famous for its hotels and theatres

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

strand

Origin of strand

Words nearby strand

Other definitions for strand (2 of 3)

Origin of strand

OTHER WORDS FROM strand

Other definitions for strand (3 of 3)

Words related to strand

How to use strand in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for strand (1 of 3)

Word Origin for strand

British Dictionary definitions for strand (2 of 3)

Word Origin for strand

British Dictionary definitions for strand (3 of 3)