I. ˈstrēk noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English strek, streke, strik, strike, from Old English strica line, streak; akin to Middle Dutch streke line, stroke, Old High German strich, Gothic striks line, stroke, Latin striga row, furrow — more at strike
1. obsolete : a linear mark or cut
in the microscope … you may see the very streaks — Henry Power
2.
a. : an irregular or indistinct stripe on the coat of an animal or the plumage of a bird
a magnolia warbler … his bluish gray back and yellow breast crossed by a black band from which black streaks run downward — W.P.Smith
b.
(1) : an irregular strip or line of contrasting color or texture causing variation in or on a surface
faded streaks in a curtain where the sun hits it
bacon with a thick streak of lean
(2) : an incision made by chipping a pine tree for obtaining turpentine
c. : the color of the fine powder of a mineral obtained by scratching, pulverizing, or rubbing against a hard white surface, often differing from the color of the mineral in mass, and being important as a distinguishing character especially for minerals having metallic luster
d. : an imperfection in glass consisting of a wavy or colored line that distorts an image
e.
(1) : a threadlike striation
(2) : inoculum implanted (as with a needle drawn across the surface) in a line or stripe upon a solidified culture medium
(3) : streak culture
f.
(1) : any of several virus diseases of plants (as the potato, tomato, raspberry, or sugarcane) resembling mosaic but usually producing at least some linear markings — compare; bluestem 2, tomato streak
(2) : a disease of sweet peas caused by a bacillus ( Erwinia lathyri ) and characterized by brownish spots or streaks on the stem, petioles, and leaves
3.
a. : a narrow band of light
the first grey streaks of dawn — R.S.Porteous
a streak of moonlight came in through the window — Sherwood Anderson
burning oil flew outwards in a streak — Nevil Shute
b. : a dart of lightning : bolt
in dazzling streaks the vivid lightnings play — William Cowper
off like a streak , heading … down the homestretch — New York Times
4.
a. : a slight admixture (as of an inherent character) : strain , trace
the streak of extreme stubbornness … was both his strength and his misfortune — J.K.Galbraith
a streak of Indian blood in him — A.W.Long
b. : a brief run (as of luck)
when he hits a streak … everything's dandy — Hamilton Basso
c. : a consecutive series (as of victories or defeats)
had a long winning streak and took the … lead — A.J.Liebling
d. : a short interval or transitory phase : fit , spell
got started on one of her talking streaks — Erskine Caldwell
5.
a. : a long irregular strip (as of land or water)
a streak of deep green brush marks the course of a creek — American Guide Series: Arkansas
b. : a narrow layer (as of ore) : seam , vein
struck a pay streak at a thousand feet
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to make streaks on or in : striate
the water was streaked with the sunset colors — R.H.Newman
the sense of living nature seems to streak some of his more recent pages — Cecil Sprigge
2. : to prepare a streak culture of
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to make streaks
ribbons of rust streak down … from patches of corrugated iron on the roof — James Reynolds
b. : to rush swiftly : bolt , rocket
lightning streaks from cloud to cloud
reporters … streaked through the crowd and out of the doors searching for telephones — Erle Stanley Gardner
jet planes streaked to three new transcontinental speed records — Newsweek
when the nurse opened the door, the cat streaked in — Henrietta Weigel
2. : to become streaked
hair beginning to streak with gray
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English streken to stroke, probably from Middle Dutch — more at stroke
obsolete : rub , smear
with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes — Shakespeare
IV.
archaic
variant of strake
V. ˈstrēk
variant of streek
VI. noun
: an act or instance of streaking
VII. intransitive verb
: to run naked through a public place