Have you ever read the instructions for use of Strong’s Concordance? James Strong wrote instructions for the use of his Hebrew and Greek dictionaries. The first word in the definition is believed to be the most accurate. The final word is considered the most radical. Anything after the punctuation :- is not a part of the definition.
Strong did a good job considering that the Koine Greek was unknown for another ten years after he published this work. However it is much of the reason we see phrases such as: Of uncertain derivation, Probably akin to, From a presumed compound of, Of uncertain affinity and Probably from.
It is always good to look at the Greek word when looking at the definition. Further understanding can be had when one realizes that a particular Greek word is where we derive certain English words.
In a few situations the definition is vague or suspect. In these cases it can help to do a search of how all the instances a particular Hebrew or Greek word was used. One method is to open e-Sword with the KJV+ and search using the Strong’s number. Examples are H1471 or its Greek equivalent G1484. By obtaining a list of all the words translated from these Hebrew and Greek words you will see several variations. Some of these variations were motivated by existing church doctrine.
Always check the meaning of the root words if any. Check the parts of speech. Several times in the KJV you will find a verb translated as a noun or an adjective for example which can compromise the understanding. Other sources to check are Liddell and Scott as they have a good concordance. Thayer may have been into the occult and probably should be avoided.