I. ˈstrīk verb
( struck ˈstrək ; struck “ ; also strick·en ˈstrikən ; striking ˈstrīkiŋ ; strikes )
Etymology: Middle English striken, from Old English strīcan; akin to Old Frisian strīka to pass over lightly, smooth, stroke, go, proceed, Middle Low German strīken, Old High German strīhhan, to pass over lightly, smooth, stroke, go, Latin stria furrow, channel, striga row, furrow, swath, stringere to touch lightly, graze, Old Prussian strigli thistle, Old Slavic strišti to shear, cut; basic meaning: to stroke
intransitive verb
1. : to take a course : proceed , go
struck into the woods and walked home along the … river — Jean Stafford
you must strike east from here — T.B.Costain
struck off through the jungle on a trail along the foothills — H.L.Merillat
the road … struck down into the sand hills — H.L.Davis
2.
a. : to deliver or aim a stroke, blow, or thrust : hit
strike while the iron is hot
strike at the dog with a stick
strike at the nail with a hammer
a rattlesnake ready to strike
the hurricane struck … with the force of a battering ram — H.A.Chippendale
the lightning struck again
if trouble strikes
a shortage of nurses when the epidemic struck
b. : to cast a stone in curling so as to hit and remove another from play
c. : to make a stroke with an oar
3.
a. : to come into contact or collision
struck against the stove as she fell
b. of a ship : to run aground : strand
c. of light : fall
the sunbeam struck full on his face
d. of a sound : to become audible
hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell — Lord Byron
e. of oyster spat : to become fixed to something
f. of a hound : to find the scent of the quarry
4. : to delete, efface, or cancel something with or as if with a stroke of the pen
a motion to strike on the ground that there was no corroboration — R.B.Keech
5. : to lower a flag usually as a sign of surrender
pull alongside of the frigate to ascertain if she had struck — Frederick Marryat
6. : to attempt to bring about destruction, defeat, or overthrow as if by a blow or stroke
had struck at the very heart of his faith — Mary Deasy
ideas that strike at the foundation of democracy
7.
a. : to come to be indicated by the sounding of a clock, bell, or chime
left the house just after six o'clock struck
b. : to make known the time of day by sounding
the clock struck as he entered the room
8. obsolete : to cause suffering or pain
this sorrow's heavenly; it strikes where it doth love — Shakespeare
9. : to go through a medium : pierce , penetrate
a chill was striking through her flesh to the marrow of her bones — Ellen Glasgow
an irresistible impulse to strike nearer the heart of the truth — R.B.West
10. obsolete : steal , rob
11.
a. : to engage in battle : fight
exhorting the multitude to strike for freedom — W.C.Taylor
b. : to make a military attack
fast vessels which could strike and get away — W.P.Webb
bombers struck at the munitions factories
12. : pulsate , throb
his heart struck heavily when the house was visible — George Meredith
13.
a. : to produce fire with flint and steel
strike on the tinder … give me a taper — Shakespeare
b. : to become ignited
the match wouldn't strike
14. : to come suddenly or unexpectedly : light
struck on a new plan to solve the problem
15.
a. : to pull on a fishing rod in order to set the hook in the mouth of a fish
b. of a fish : to seize the bait
16. : to move quickly : dart , shoot
has tossed a sheet of paper into the fire and seen it … strike to flame — George Meredith
17.
a. of a plant cutting : to take root
b. of a seed : germinate
18. : to make an impression
what strikes at a first reading — Times Literary Supplement
would strike on pure minds with a force like mathematical demonstration — John Keble
19. : to engage in a temporary stoppage of work in order to bring about compliance with demands made on an employer
voted to strike for higher wages
20.
a. : to take effect in the process of curing
the salt has struck
b. : to cause a color to sink in (as in a glass coated with a composition and reheated) : become set
21. : to make a sudden beginning : launch
the orchestra struck into another waltz
22. : to thrust oneself forward often in a sudden, unexpected, or vigorous manner
sees no brawl but he must strike into the midst of it — Sir Walter Scott
23. : to act or serve as the orderly of a military officer
24. : to form an arc (as between the two carbons of an electric arc)
25. : to have a geological strike
26. : to make a determined effort : work diligently : strive
as a boy … he had decided to strike for a commission in the Royal Navy — J.A.Michener
overborne by a sense of futility in striking for what seems unattainable — W.P.Webb
transitive verb
1.
a. : to deliver a stroke, blow, or thrust at : hit
strike the boy with the back of the hand
strike the dog with a stick
a deer struck by an arrow
strike the whale with a harpoon
a hurricane struck the town
a house struck by lightning
their herds are struck by an epidemic — Wilfred Thesiger
this rise in living costs … strikes especially the poorer people of the country — P.E.James
b.
(1) : to drive or remove with or as if with a blow
struck the knife from his hand
(2) : to remove or separate by or as if by cutting
struck a branch from the tree
c.
(1) of a bird of prey : to attack and sink the talons into
(2) of a snake : to sink the fangs into
d. : to deliver or deal by or as if by some bodily action : inflict
who would be free, themselves must strike the blow — Lord Byron
e. : to produce by or as if by a blow or stroke
waving wide her myrtle wand she strikes a universal peace — John Milton
2.
a.
(1) : to haul down (as a sail)
(2) : to lower (as a flag) usually as a sign of surrender
made the ship — maybe with the aid of a ball across her bows — strike her colors — Eva M. Tappan
(3) : to lower (as a cargo) into a ship's hold — usually used with down
b. : to dismantle and take away
strike a stage set
c.
(1) : to take down (a tent)
shall be glad to help you strike the tent — David Walker
(2) : to take down the tents of (a camp)
were to strike camp at sunrise — Irving Stone
d. : to lower gradually (an arch or vault centering) so as to permit the arch or vault to reach safely its final state of equilibrium
3.
a. : to bring suffering or death to as if with a blow
heavily the hand of the Lord had stricken him — John Bruce
b. : to afflict suddenly : lay low
was stricken with the bends — P.J.Costello
was struck down at the height of his young glory — Richard Pollock
4.
a. : to engage in (a battle) : fight
b. : to make a military attack on
the planes returned safely after striking their targets
the first platoon struck the retreating enemy
5. : to delete, efface, or cancel with or as if with a stroke of the pen
struck this appropriation from the defense budget — Army-Navy-Air Force Journal
have struck out a few pages which are merely a newspaper abridgement of an address — O.W.Holmes †1935
struck down a … law requiring each state employe to take an oath — New York Times
demanded that the … professors be fired and the book stricken off the list — Green Peyton
not only suppress the book but have it struck out of the catalog — G.B.Shaw
6.
a. : to penetrate in a sharp or painful manner : pierce
the news of the loss struck him to the heart
b. : to cause to penetrate
his voice struck a chill into the girl's heart — A. Conan Doyle
c. : to send down or out
trees that strike deep roots
7. obsolete
a. : to rub gently
strike his hand over the place and recover the leper — 2 Kings 5:11 (Authorized Version)
b. : to spread on a surface : smear
take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts — Exod. 12:7 (Authorized Version)
8.
a. : to level (as a measure of grain) by scraping off with a strickle what is above the rim
b. : to smooth or form (as a mold in founding) with a strickle — often used with out or up
c. : to dress and smooth (a mortar joint between bricks or stones) with a trowel
9.
a. : to indicate by sounding
the clock of the church … strikes the hours — Arnold Bennett
her ship's bell is now being used … for striking the end of the day — H.A.Chippendale
b. : to cause to sound the time
struck my repeater again and found that midnight was past — National Observer
10.
a.
(1) : to bring into forceful contact
struck his head on a rafter
strike the knee against the dashboard
(2) : to shake (hands) in confirmation of an agreement
let us strike hands upon the bargain — Jane Austen
(3) : to thrust suddenly
struck the spurs in his horse and galloped away — Irving Bacheller
b. : to come into contact or collision with
the car skidded and struck a tree
a ship strikes the reef
struck the table as he fell
the hissing sound of the rain as it struck the river's surface — J.C.Powys
c. of light : to fall on
the sun strikes him full in the face
d. of a sound : to become audible to
nor shout nor whistle strikes his ear — William Wordsworth
e. of a hound : to find the scent of (the quarry)
11.
a. : to cause to fall into a specified mental or emotional state
at this they were all … struck into their dumps — John Bunyan
b.
(1) : to cause to be affected with a strong emotion
a sight that struck them with horror
(2) : to cause (a strong emotion) to fall suddenly or enter
eyes that strike terror into junior clerks — Constance Foley
c. archaic : depress , shock
this struck … the enthusiasts of the King's side as much as it exalted the Scots — Gilbert Burnet
d. : to cause to become as a result of or as if of a sudden blow
a stray bullet struck the man dead — Horace Sutton
was reportedly struck dumb with stage fright — Current Biography
12.
a. : to cast (as candles) in a mold
b. : to convert (metal) into coins : mint
c.
(1) : to produce by stamping with a die or punch
strike a medal
(2) : to hit with a die or punch
wanted coins that were sharply struck — Numismatist
d. : to cause (a hot tool or die) to make an impression in bookbinding
e.
(1) : to produce (as a bank note) by imprinting : print
(2) : stamp
strike a handstamp
f. obsolete : to imprint on the mind
those beauties which strike a sort of melancholy — Earl of Shaftesbury †1713
13.
a. : to produce (as fire) by or as if by the percussion of flint and steel
could not be unaware that my remarks did not strike fire — R.M.Lovett
b. : to cause to ignite by friction
would have to strike a match every now and then to read the compass — William Faulkner
14. : to make and ratify the terms of
in this informal way the bargain is struck — W.T.C.King
15.
a. : to play by strokes on the keys or strings
strikes the golden lyre — Alexander Pope
b. : to produce by or as if by playing a musical instrument
strike a few chords on the piano
he and his companions struck a discordant note in this firelit room — John Buchan
16. obsolete : steal , rob
17.
a. : to mark (as land) by plowing once up and down the field — often used with off
b. : to mark out (as a line) usually with a compass or chalk line : draw
18.
a. : to hook (a fish) by means of a sharp pull on the line
rely on speed, not strength, when striking your trout — Field & Stream
b. of a fish : to snatch at (the bait) : seize
19. obsolete : broach 3a
20.
a.
(1) : to come into the mind of : occur to
it strikes me he has moved too far too fast — Irving Kolodin
the oddity of the premature thanksgiving struck them both and they laughed — Israel Zangwill
(2) : to appear to the judgment of : impress
always struck strangers that way until the novelty wore off — J.P.Marquand
no wonder they strike us as silent — Thornton Wilder
the young always strike her as infinitely funny — G.W.Brace
b. : to make a strong impression on : appear remarkable to
a spectacle … calculated to strike a highly cultivated, a reflecting, an imaginative mind — T.B.Macaulay
the name seemed to strike them all — Jane Austen
what struck me was that he told me very little that I cared to hear — O.W.Holmes †1935
the first thing that struck me was the blue of the sky — Sam Pollock
c. : to catch and hold
strikes the attention and focuses the fugitive experience onto itself — Hunter Mead
has painted the things that have struck her eye — Newsweek
21.
a. : to transform by or as if by magic
b. : bewitch
22.
a. : to precipitate (a dye) by a mordant
b. : to cause (a dye) to be adsorbed on an inert carrier in making an organic pigment
23. : to select the members of (a jury) : form
24. : to reach with a sounding line
strike soundings
25. : to arrive at by the balancing, counterposing, or canceling out of opposing elements or considerations : achieve by or as if by computation or calculation
strike the optimum balance between secrecy and openness — J.G.Palfrey
for the time being a compromise has been struck — C.J.Friedrich
strike an average
strike a mean
26. : to make a request or demand of
gaze at him and strike him for his autograph — Mark Twain
27. : to smooth and stretch (as skins) while wet in leather manufacturing — often used with out
28. : to cause to become impregnated with salt in the process of curing
29. : to lade (as a liquor) into a cooler
30.
a.
(1) : to reach in the course of traveling : come to
struck the main road after a short drive
an easterly route that eventually strikes the river
(2) : to succeed in reaching : attain
after an unpromising beginning he finally struck his stride as a concert pianist
b.
(1) : to come upon in or as if in the course of traveling : run across
the most unpractical person I ever struck — Sheila Kaye-Smith
the best sea story I have struck in years — H.J.Laski
(2) : to come across in the course of prospecting or drilling : discover
this peasant … had the luck to strike water — Norman Douglas
strike oil
31.
a. : to engage in a temporary stoppage of (work) in order to bring about compliance with demands made on an employer
b.
(1) : to engage in a strike against (an employer)
(2) : to suspend or cripple the operation of (as a factory) by engaging in a strike
32. : to assume temporarily : take on
striking what appeared to them to be most belligerent attitudes — Thomas Barbour
strike a pose
33.
a. : to place (a plant cutting) in a medium for growth and the development of roots
less than 10 percent of the cuttings struck in sand finally rooted
b. : to propagate (a plant) especially by means of cuttings
34. : to make one's way by taking : proceed along
struck their path across the fields — Algernon Gissing
35. : to cause (an arc) to form (as between the carbon electrodes of an arc lamp)
36. : to form a thin preliminary deposit on (an article in an electroplating bath) at a rapid rate preliminary to a longer and slower deposition
37. of an insect : to oviposit on
Synonyms:
strike , hit , smite , punch , slug , slog , swat , clout , slap , cuff , box : of this group, all of which indicate the coming or bringing into contact with or as if with a sharp blow, strike , hit , and smite are the more general terms. strike , the most general of the words, may indicate the motion of aiming or dealing the blow, the motion prior to contact with the hand, fist, instrument, weapon, or missile
strike at the enemy and miss
strike out at random
It may indicate various types of contact from a light, often stroking contact
the light breeze struck the ship on the north side
to a forcible collision or blasting contact
the car struck a post and overturned
the lightning struck the house
strike a man down with a heavy blow
the enemy struck with full force
It may suggest several types of physical or emotional effect or impression
strike someone dead
strike a line on paper
strike out a name from a list
to be struck by the beauty of the scenery
grief- stricken
conscience- stricken
or it may be used to indicate any of the types of contact suggested by any of the other words in this group. hit , although it is used in most of the situations in which strike occurs, emphasizes more than strike the physical or figurative contact with or impact upon an object, usually something aimed at; it usu., though not necessarily, stresses forcefulness
hit a child on the wrist
the shell hit the tank and tore through the side
the depression hit hard all elements of society
hit the right road home
hit the winning number in a lottery
smite , largely a rhetorical or book word, usually stresses the injuriousness or destructiveness of the contact and often suggests a motivation of anger or desire for vengeance
with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head — Judg 5:26 (Authorized Version)
conscience- smitten
disease- smitten
smitten with grief or love
punch , slug , slog , swat , and clout are generally used to suggest the giving of various kinds of usually sharp or heavy blows. punch suggests a quick blow with or as if with the fist
would handcuff everybody rather than face the risk of having their noses punched by somebody — G.B.Shaw
slug emphasizes the heaviness of the impact and usually suggests a certain viciousness in the delivery of the blow
was attacked by an assault suspect, who slugged him with a 5-ft. iron pipe — Time
slog emphasizes the heavy, usually haphazard quality of the blows
the two fighters were so tired they merely slogged rather than hit each other with clean, precise blows
swat suggests a forceful, slapping blow, usually with such an instrument as a bat, weapon, or flyswatter
in off moments he would swat the regiment of cockroaches — Paul de Kruif
swat flies
swat a baseball out of the ball park
clout suggests a heavy careless blow usually with the hand or fist
a shoe clouted his skull and inflicted a fracture — Hugh McCrae
they clout our heads the moment our conclusions differ from theirs — G.B.Shaw
slap , cuff , and box all suggest blows of varying force with the open hand. slap is the most general and indicates a sharp, usually stinging blow with or as if with the palm of the hand
slap a person in the face
slapped the coverlet angrily — Kenneth Roberts
cuff suggests a blow often forcible enough to dizzy or throw off balance and often dealt with the back of the hand
it was pointed out … that children could be hurried and delayed, cuffed and bribed, into becoming adults — Margaret Mead
box suggests the delivery of an openhanded blow but is usually limited to one against the ears
the mother boxed her child's ears in a fit of temper
Synonym: see in addition affect .
•
- strike a docket
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English strik, strike, from striken, v.
1. archaic : a bunch of hackled flax, jute, or hemp prepared for drawing into slivers
2. dialect chiefly England : a dry measure varying from two pecks to four bushels
3.
a. : a strickle for leveling a surface by striking off superfluous material or for striking up a mold in founding
b. : a broad smooth stick for removing superfluous clay in molding bricks
4. : an act or instance of striking
the strike of a rattlesnake
the strike of the clock
5.
a. : the unit quantity of malt used in making ale or beer
b. : excellence or strength of ale or beer
three hogsheads of ale of the first strike — Sir Walter Scott
6.
a. : the impression on a coin, token, or medal made by a die or punch
b.
(1) : the impression on a stamp made by a printing plate
(2) : the impression on a stamp made by a handstamp
7.
a. : a temporary stoppage of work by a body of workers designed to enforce compliance with demands (as changes in wages, hours, or working conditions) made on an employer — compare lockout , stay-in strike
b. : a temporary stoppage of normal operations and activities designed as a protest against an action or condition
a buyers' strike
hunger strike
8.
a. : the direction of the line of intersection of a horizontal plane with an uptilted bedding plane, vein, fault, slaty cleavage, schistosity, or similar geological structure
b.
(1) : the trend of a linear geological feature or structure
(2) : the orientation of a tabular particle in a sediment or rock
9.
a. : a pull on a fishing rod designed to set the hook in the mouth of a fish
b. : a pull on a line made by a fish in taking the bait
10. : the mass of moist sugar crystals left in a pan after a boiling in the manufacture of sugar
11. : a sudden or unexpected stroke of good luck ; especially : a sudden discovery of oil or of a rich vein of ore
made a lucky strike and in three months had realized a considerable fortune — H.W.H.Knott
12.
a. : a pitched ball (as in baseball) recorded against a batter
it's one-two-three strikes, you're out at the old ball game — Jack Norworth
(1) : a pitch at which a batter swings and misses
(2) : a pitch passing through the strike zone at which a batter does not swing
(3) : a foul bunt not caught on the fly
(4) : a foul ball hit with less than two strikes on the batter and not caught on the fly
(5) : a foul tip caught by the catcher before it hits the ground
b. : a disadvantage that makes achievement difficult : handicap
his racial background was a second strike against him — K.D.Miller
13. : an act or instance of knocking down all the bowling pins with the first ball of a frame — compare spare
14. : a piece of copper that carries an impression driven into it by a typefounder's punch and that after hand finishing becomes a matrix for forming the face of type
15.
a. : an act of obtaining or attempting to obtain money by importunity, threat, or blackmail
b. or strike bill : a legislative bill designed to be harmful to a person or corporation if enacted into law and introduced in order to obtain a bribe for its withdrawal
16. : a striking mechanism (as for a clock)
17.
a. : a part of a lock designed to be struck by another part
b. : a part of a lock that prevents a retracted bolt from shooting forward
c. : a metal fastening on a doorframe into which the bolt of a lock is projected in order to secure the door
18. : establishment of roots and plant growth (as by rooting of cuttings or germination of seeds)
an excellent strike of oats
had a 70 percent strike on his cuttings
19.
a. : a thin initial electrodeposit
b. : an electrolyte used in making such a deposit
20.
a. : cutaneous myiasis of sheep : fly-strike
body strike
tail strike
blowfly strike
— compare mules operation
b. : struck 2
21.
a. : a military attack ; especially : an air attack on a single objective
air strikes on the more important road junctions — Infantry Journal
b. : a group of airplanes taking part in such an attack
in the afternoon a second strike was flown off — Fletcher Pratt
22. : the amount of dye absorbed by the fiber but not diffused through it in the first brief period of dyeing
23. : the act or process of dismantling a stage set
24. : an individual unit of a design on china or other dinnerware in the decalcomania process
III. noun
: a perfectly thrown ball
fired a strike to first base