Strand
noun /strænd/ — A beach or shoreline — and also a single thread in a larger weaving.
Definition
A shore or beach; a single thin length of something such as thread, wire, or hair; to leave someone without means of going anywhere.
Beyond the definition
Strand carries its multiple meanings beautifully — the beach where water meets land, the thread that makes up something larger, the condition of being left where you can't move. All three imply a kind of edge: the boundary between wet and dry, the boundary between one thing and the whole.
Origin & history
From Old English strand — shore, land bordering the sea. The place where one medium ends and another begins — the exact line of transition.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She walked the strand at low tide, where the sea had left its evidence.
Every narrative has its strands — pull one and the others rearrange.
Stranded: one of the most evocative words in English — to be left at the edge, unable to continue.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Strand” when the meaning fits your context: A shore or beach; a single thin length of something such as thread, wire, or hair; to leave someone without means of going anywhere.
Synonyms
beach, shore, coast, shoreline, thread, filament
Antonyms
interior, center, deep
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Swirling pigments on a palette
A palette is covered in swirling, multi-coloured pigments that are blending into new shades as the brush moves.
The individual lines of paint on the palette represent strands of colour, illustrating how distinct parts combine within a larger, shifting medium.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Strand" mean?
Strand is noun meaning: A beach or shoreline — and also a single thread in a larger weaving.. A shore or beach; a single thin length of something such as thread, wire, or hair; to leave someone without means of going anywhere.
Where does the word "Strand" come from?
From Old English strand — shore, land bordering the sea. The place where one medium ends and another begins — the exact line of transition.