strand
1[ 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
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of strand
1Firstbefore 1000; Middle English noun strond(e), strand(e), Old English strand; cognate with Dutch strand, German Strand, Old Norse strǫnd; akin to strew
Other definitions for strand (2 of 3)
strand2
[ strand ]
/ strænd /
noun
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
2First recorded in 1490–1500; origin uncertain
OTHER WORDS FROM strand
strand·less, adjectiveOther 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.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use strand in a sentence
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
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