strand
/strænd/ (bre, ipa) · /strænd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstrand/ (ame, mw)
strand — noun
- strandsingular
- strandsplural
1. a thin and narrow length of something like hair, thread, wire, or fibre — usuall
a thin and narrow length of something like hair, thread, wire, or fibre — usually one of several that are wound around one another to make a rope, cable, or string
Eli pulled a long strand of hair from his jacket before the job interview.
strand of [material]
The climbing rope is made of three thick strands twisted tightly together.
several strands twisted together
A single strand of human DNA is incredibly long when stretched out.
Camila saw a loose strand of thread on her dress and cut it off.
The necklace was a single strand of small white pearls from Japan.
文法句型
strand + of + [material]
用法筆記
The phrase 'a strand of pearls' is a fixed expression for a necklace made of pearls strung on one thread.
2. one of several connected parts that together form a larger whole, such as a stor
one of several connected parts that together form a larger whole, such as a story, argument, plan, or situation
The novel has several different strands that all come together in the final chapter.
several strands come together
One important strand of the government's plan deals with reducing pollution in cities.
strand of [plan/argument]
Jiwoo's research follows two main strands: climate science and environmental policy.
The detective tried to connect every loose strand of the case into one clear story.
Each strand of the argument was carefully examined before the team made a decision.
文法句型
strand + of + [abstract noun]
用法筆記
Common in academic and analytical writing. Often paired with verbs like 'weave together', 'connect', 'separate', or 'pull apart'.
常見錯誤
3. the land that borders a sea, ocean, or large lake; a shore or beach — used espec
the land that borders a sea, ocean, or large lake; a shore or beach — used especially in literary or descriptive writing
Élise walked along the strand at sunset, watching the waves break against the rocks.
The old fisherman pulled his wooden boat onto the strand before the storm hit.
Children built sandcastles on the wide strand while their parents sat in the sun.
The beach was a beautiful golden strand lined with palm trees and small cafes.
用法筆記
In modern everyday conversation, 'shore' or 'beach' are far more common than 'strand'. 'Strand' in this sense is mainly found in literature, poetry, and travel writing.
strand — verb
- strandpresent simple I / you / we / they
- strands3rd person singular
- stranding-ing form
- strandedpast simple
1. to cause a person or animal to be left somewhere with no way of moving or travel
to cause a person or animal to be left somewhere with no way of moving or travelling any further, typically because transport has stopped or money has run out
Thousands of passengers were stranded at the airport after all flights were cancelled by snow.
passive: be stranded at [place]
The flood waters rose quickly and stranded several families on the roofs of their houses.
Amelia missed the last train home and was stranded in the city centre until morning.
The travel company went out of business, leaving fifty tourists stranded in a foreign country.
Eitan's car broke down on a country road, leaving him stranded for three hours.
文法句型
be stranded + [prepositional phrase]
leave + [someone] + stranded
用法筆記
Very frequently used in the passive voice ('be/get stranded'). The active form ('strand someone') is common with natural disasters or system failures as the subject. The phrase 'leave someone stranded' is a common alternative construction.
常見錯誤
2. in baseball, to finish an inning while one or more runners still occupy a base,
in baseball, to finish an inning while one or more runners still occupy a base, having failed to bring them home to score any points
The batter hit a weak fly ball and stranded two runners on base.
strand [number] runner(s)
Constanza's team stranded seven base runners over the course of nine innings.
With two outs, the pitcher struck out the last batter and left three runners stranded.
Bilal's team left twelve runners stranded in a single game, which was a new record.
- bring home
to successfully allow a runner to score
文法句型
strand + [number] + runner(s)
用法筆記
Exclusive to baseball. The object is always a 'base runner' or 'runner'. The number of runners left on base is an important baseball statistic called 'LOB' (left on base).
3. to cause a boat, ship, or other vessel to become stuck on a shore or on the bott
to cause a boat, ship, or other vessel to become stuck on a shore or on the bottom of shallow water, so that it cannot move
The captain misread his chart and stranded the ship on a sandbar near the coast.
Strong winds drove the fishing boat onto the rocks, where it remained stranded until sunrise.
passive: remain stranded
The oil tanker was stranded on the reef, threatening to leak oil into the sea.
Lakan managed to free the small sailboat that had been stranded on the muddy riverbank.
- run aground
more specific and more common in nautical contexts than 'strand'
- beach
to pull a boat onto the shore deliberately; not the same as accidentally getting stuck
- refloat
to cause a stranded ship to float again and move freely
文法句型
be/get stranded + [on/upon] + [reef/rock/sandbar]
用法筆記
This nautical sense is the historical origin of the more common 'LEAVE STRANDED' sense (verb/1). The passive form ('the ship was stranded') is more common than the active form ('the storm stranded the ship').