strand

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A single thin piece of something like hair, thread, or rope.

   A loose strand of hair fell across her face.

2. 2
   noun

   One part of a larger story, plan, or idea.

   The novel weaves together several strands of the same family's history.

3. 3
   verb

   To leave someone in a place they cannot get away from.

   The storm stranded hundreds of passengers at the airport overnight.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

The strand meaning “land bordering water” or “shore” is an Old English word of uncertain origin. In the early 17th century it developed into the verb meaning “to run aground” or “be stuck.” The other strand, meaning a thread or hair, is recorded from late Middle English and is also of uncertain origin.

Origin uncertain. Cognate with Scots stran, strawn, strand (“strand”). Perhaps the same as strand ("rivulet, stream, gutter"; see Etymology 1 above); or from Middle English *stran, from Old French estran (“a rope, cord”), from Middle High German stren, strene (“skein, strand”), from Old High German streno, from Proto-West Germanic *strenō, from Proto-Germanic *strinô (“strip, strand”), from Proto-Indo-European *strēy-, *ster- (“strip, line, streak, ray, stripe, row”); related to Dutch streng (“skein, hank of thread, strand, string”), German Strähne (“skein, hank of thread, strand of hair”). Co…

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary