straggler

[ strag-ler ]

noun

1. a person or thing that lags behind others:

   We’re waiting for a few stragglers, but all entries must be in by Wednesday, March 4th.

2. a person, animal, ship, etc., that wanders around or strays from a path or course:

   The French steamer Tourny, a straggler from its convoy, was sunk by a German U-boat.

   There was a wood quail just 5 yards away on the trail, presumably a straggler from the covey.

3. one of a number of persons or things scattered thinly or at irregular intervals in space or time:

   I didn’t see too many weeds in the garden—just two or three stragglers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of straggler¹

First recorded in 1525–35; straggle ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Backstory: Before he made movies, Hawkes sang and played guitar in an 1980s punk band called Meat Joy, followed by Gangster Folk and King Straggler.

From Los Angeles Times

And if he were to one day find a red straggler with the right surface features to indicate a primordial black hole?

From Science Magazine

“He threatened he would bring home a straggler one day,” she joked.

From Seattle Times

Novavax, a Gaithersburg, Md., biotechnology company, has been a straggler in the vaccine race.

From Washington Post

She was aware that even after most of them were ejected, a tenacious straggler could still be hiding on the premises, capable of violence, and favoring her as his target.

From Slate