strand

¹

[strand]

verb (used with object)

1. to drive or leave (a ship, fish, etc.) aground or ashore.

   The receding tide stranded the whale.

2. (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)

1. to be driven or left ashore; run aground.

2. to be halted or struck by a difficult situation.

   He stranded in the middle of his speech.

noun

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

strand

²

[strand]

noun

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

2. a similar part of a wire rope.

3. a rope made of such twisted or plaited fibers.

4. a fiber or filament, as in animal or plant tissue.

   a single strand of messenger RNA.

5. a thread or threadlike part of anything.

   the strands of a plot.

6. a tress of hair.

7. a string of pearls, beads, etc.

verb (used with object)

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

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

Strand

³

[strand]

noun

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

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

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

strand

¹

/ strænd /

noun

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

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

3. a string of pearls or beads

4. a constituent element in a complex whole

   one strand of her argument

verb

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

strand

²

/ strænd /

verb

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

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

noun

1. a shore or beach

2. a foreign country

Strand

³

/ strænd /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• strandless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of strand¹

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

Origin of strand²

First recorded in 1490–1500; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of strand¹

C15: of uncertain origin

Origin of strand²

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

Example Sentences

In this case, Mirkin's team chemically incorporated the chemotherapy molecules into the DNA strands themselves, creating a drug that cancer cells naturally absorb.

Read more on Science Daily

Last week, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal, stranding people in the Himalayas.

Read more on BBC

Belgian authorities on Wednesday investigated drone sightings that halted air traffic overnight at several airports, as flights resumed after hundreds of passengers were left stranded.

Read more on Barron's

Nine dogs were rescued by the emergency services but the remaining "more reactive dogs" are currently stranded.

Read more on BBC

Lines north of Preston and south of Carlisle were blocked as a result, leaving passengers stranded either side of the crash.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• fiber 
• filament 
• rope 
• string