strands
/strænd/ (bre, ipa) · [strˈændz] /strænd/ (ame, ipa) · [strˈændz] /ˈstrand How to pronounce strand (audio)/ (ame, mw)
strands — noun
1. thin separate lengths of hair, thread, wire, or similar material, often several
thin separate lengths of hair, thread, wire, or similar material, often several that are twisted or laid together to make something stronger
Several silver strands of wire stuck out of the damaged cable.
strands of [material]
Lien brushed a few wet strands of hair away from her glasses.
The necklace has three strands of tiny pearls from her grandmother.
In the school lab, students compared single and double DNA strands.
文法句型
strands + of + [material]
用法筆記
Often used with 'of' to name the material: strands of hair, wire, thread, or DNA. In everyday use, the plural is common when several long pieces are visible together.
2. separate but related parts that together make up a larger story, argument, plan,
separate but related parts that together make up a larger story, argument, plan, or situation
The documentary brings together strands of family history and local politics.
bring strands together
Several strands of the debate came back during the town meeting.
Noa traced two strands of the research project back to one email.
The final chapter ties the comic and tragic strands together.
文法句型
strands + of + [story/plan/debate]
用法筆記
Common in writing about stories, arguments, and public issues. It suggests parts that stay separate for a time but are connected within one larger pattern.
3. stretches of shore or beach by the sea, especially in literary or descriptive wr
stretches of shore or beach by the sea, especially in literary or descriptive writing
The poem describes cold northern strands where no trees can grow.
literary plural for shores
Fishermen pulled their nets onto the rocky strands before dawn.
Tourists rarely visit the black-sand strands outside the old port.
Sea birds circled above the empty strands after the storm.
用法筆記
This sense sounds literary, old-fashioned, or poetic. In ordinary conversation, people usually say 'beaches' or 'shores' instead.
strands — verb
- strandspresent simple I / you / we / they
- strandses3rd person singular
- strandsing-ing form
- strandsedpast simple
1. causes someone or something to be left somewhere with no practical way to travel
causes someone or something to be left somewhere with no practical way to travel on or get home
The airline strike strands dozens of students in Seoul during exam week.
strand + people + place
A dead battery strands Noor on a dark road after work.
Low tide sometimes strands small fish in shallow pools near the pier.
The cancelled ferry strands holidaymakers on the island until Monday morning.
文法句型
strand + [someone/animal] + [place]
用法筆記
The passive is more common in many contexts ('people are stranded'), but this form is natural when a storm, breakdown, or transport failure is the subject.
常見錯誤
2. in baseball, leaves one or more runners on base when the inning ends, so they do
in baseball, leaves one or more runners on base when the inning ends, so they do not score
A sharp ground ball strands two runners and ends the seventh inning.
strand + number + runners
The rookie pitcher strands the tying run at third with a strikeout.
One more fly ball strands three Yankees and keeps Boston ahead.
The defense strands a runner on second after a diving catch.
- drives in
brings the runner home to score
文法句型
strand + [number] + runner(s)
strand + the tying run + [base]
用法筆記
Used only in baseball. The object is the runner or runners who fail to score, and the context nearly always mentions the base or the inning.
3. drives a boat or ship onto a shore, reef, sandbar, or shallow bank so that it ca
drives a boat or ship onto a shore, reef, sandbar, or shallow bank so that it cannot move freely
A hidden sandbar strands the fishing boat just before sunrise.
strand + boat + on obstruction
Thick fog strands a cargo ship on the reef overnight.
The storm surge strands two small yachts beside the harbour wall.
One wrong turn strands the rescue boat on a muddy bank.
- refloats
gets a stranded vessel moving again
文法句型
strand + [boat/ship] + [on/upon] + [reef/sandbar/bank]
用法筆記
This is the older nautical sense from which the more general travel sense developed. It is most natural with ships, boats, reefs, sandbars, and coasts.