strand

1 of 5

noun (1)

: the land bordering a body of water : shore, beach

strand

2 of 5

verb (1)

stranded; stranding; strands

transitive verb

1
: to run, drive, or cause to drift onto a strand : run aground
2
: to leave in a strange or an unfavorable place especially without funds or means to depart
3
: to leave (a base runner) on base at the end of an inning in baseball

strand

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
Scotland and dialects of England : stream
2
Scotland and dialects of England : sea

strand

4 of 5

noun (3)

1
a
: fibers or filaments twisted, plaited, or laid parallel to form a unit for further twisting or plaiting into yarn, thread, rope, or cordage
b
: one of the wires twisted together or laid parallel to form a wire rope or cable
c
: something (such as a molecular chain) resembling a strand
a strand of DNA
2
a
: an element (such as a yarn or thread) of a woven or plaited material
b
: a threadlike piece of natural or synthetic material
a strand of hair
3
: an elongated or twisted and plaited body resembling a rope
a strand of pearls
4
: one of the elements interwoven in a complex whole
one strand of the novel's plot

strand

5 of 5

verb (2)

stranded; stranding; strands

transitive verb

1
: to break a strand of (a rope) accidentally
2
a
: to form (something, such as a rope) from strands
b
: to play out, twist, or arrange in a strand

Examples of strand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Given Franklin’s reputation as an unlikely ladies’ man, that aspect of his time in France – which includes a lot of playful flirting – provides a surprisingly uninspired strand to this eight-part production. Brian Lowry, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024 Maya Smith, a licensed cosmetologist and founder of The Doux, shares that breakage can manifest in different ways: split ends, thinning strands, and excessive shedding. Larry Stansbury, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024 Each song taps into a particular strand of emotion that no one else would think to identify, let alone try to write about. Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 5 Apr. 2024 Moves in the Field [Warp] On her latest album of sweeping piano compositions, Kelly Moran taps into a strand of modern classical that mesmerizes and haunts, with occasional, breathtaking lurches to disturb the air of sanctuary. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2024 The scene then cuts to the singer in full color as the tempo lifts and she twirls and wraps herself in strands of yellow and red ribbon. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024 With 65,000 five-star reviews, customers praise Sky Organics’ castor oil for its ability to strengthen strands, sprout new growth, and retain length. Jenn Barthole, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2024 The Indiana comedies strand being shepherded by Nunziante, has two lines of development. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024 The Skirball recently acquired the work and Silverman is currently an artist-in-residence, hosting gatherings that will put his dishware to use while bringing different strands of Angelenos together. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Verb
The offensive woes continued in a 2-1 loss to the Rays that kicked off a six-game swing through Florida, with the would-be tying run left stranded at third base. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024 The stranding center’s website said this was New Jersey's first whale death of the year, following 14 in 2023. Wayne Parry, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024 One of Amezcua’s winning photos captured Rachel Thorpe after her husband, Jamey, came to her rescue when she and dozens of other drivers were stranded by floodwaters on Twin Cities Road near Highway 99. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024 This is not the first time that authorities have rescued sailors stranded on the island. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024 The Rebels stranded two runners each in the sixth and seventh innings as Frank and Christian Foutch kept them at bay. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 6 Apr. 2024 Every time Mark flies toward him, Angstrom opens up a portal and strands Mark in a different dimension. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024 Additionally, more than 1,000 were injured in the quake, while 700 people were stranded and in need of rescue, authorities said. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024 Supplies will be airdropped to those who are stranded if necessary, local media reported. Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old Norse strǫnd shore

Noun (2)

Middle English stronde, strande

Noun (3)

Middle English strond

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1621, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of strand was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near strand

Cite this Entry

“Strand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strand. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

strand

1 of 3 noun
: the land bordering a body of water : shore, beach

strand

2 of 3 verb
1
: to run aground : beach
boats stranded by the storm
2
: to leave in a strange or an unfavorable place especially without a way of departing
stranded in a strange city

strand

3 of 3 noun
1
: one of the fibers, threads, strings, or wires twisted or braided to make a cord, rope, or cable
2
: something resembling a strand
a strand of pearls
a strand of DNA
3
: one of the elements of a complicated whole
the strands of a legal argument
Etymology

Noun

Old English strand "shore"

Noun

Middle English strond "strand, fiber"

Medical Definition

strand

noun
: something (as a molecular chain) resembling a thread
a strand of DNA

More from Merriam-Webster on strand

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