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15 dictionary results for: strike
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
strike       [strahyk] Pronunciation Key verb, struck or (Obsolete) strook; struck or, esp. for 31–34, strick·en or (Obsolete) strook; strik·ing; noun, adjective
–verb (used with object)
1.to deal a blow or stroke to (a person or thing), as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer; hit.
2.to inflict, deliver, or deal (a blow, stroke, attack, etc.).
3.to drive so as to cause impact: to strike the hands together.
4.to thrust forcibly: Brutus struck a dagger into the dying Caesar.
5.to produce (fire, sparks, light, etc.) by percussion, friction, etc.
6.to cause (a match) to ignite by friction.
7.(of some natural or supernatural agency) to smite or blast: Lightning struck the spire. May God strike you dead!
8.to come into forcible contact or collision with; hit into or against: The ship struck a rock.
9.to reach or fall upon (the senses), as light or sound: A shrill peal of bells struck their ears.
10.to enter the mind of; occur to: A happy thought struck him.
11.to catch or arrest (the sight, hearing, etc.): the first object that strikes one's eye.
12.to impress strongly: a picture that strikes one's fancy.
13.to impress in a particular manner: How does it strike you?
14.to come across, meet with, or encounter suddenly or unexpectedly: to strike the name of a friend in a newspaper.
15.to come upon or find (oil, ore, etc.) in drilling, prospecting, or the like.
16.to send down or put forth (a root), as a plant or cutting.
17.to arrive at or achieve by or as by balancing: to strike a balance; to strike a compromise.
18.to take apart or pull down (a structure or object, as a tent).
19.to remove from the stage (the scenery and properties of an act or scene): to strike a set.
20.Nautical.
a.to lower or take down (a sail, mast, etc.).
b.to lower (a sail, flag, etc.) as a salute or as a sign of surrender.
c.to lower (something) into the hold of a vessel by means of a rope and tackle.
21.Falconry. to loosen (a hood) from the head of a hawk so that it may be instantly removed.
22.Angling.
a.to hook (a fish that has taken the bait) by making a sharp jerk on the line.
b.(of a fish) to snatch at (the bait).
23.to harpoon (a whale).
24.(in technical use) to make level or smooth.
25.to make level or even, as a measure of grain or salt, by drawing a strickle across the top.
26.to efface, cancel, or cross out, with or as with the stroke of a pen (usually fol. by out): to strike a passage out of a book.
27.to impress or stamp (a coin, medal, etc.) by printing or punching: to strike a medal in commemoration.
28.to remove or separate with or as if with a cut (usually fol. by off): Illness struck him off from social contacts. The butcher struck off a chop.
29.Masonry. to finish (a mortar joint) with a stroke of the trowel.
30.to indicate (the hour of day) by a stroke or strokes, as a clock: to strike 12.
31.to afflict suddenly, as with disease, suffering, or death (often fol. by down): The plague struck Europe. Apoplexy struck him down.
32.to overwhelm emotionally, as with terror or fear; affect deeply.
33.to make blind, dumb, etc., suddenly, as if by a blow.
34.to implant or induce (a feeling): to strike fear into a person.
35.to start or move suddenly into (vigorous movement): The horse struck a gallop.
36.to assume (an attitude or posture): He likes to strike a noble pose.
37.to cause (chill, warmth, etc.) to pass or penetrate quickly.
38.to come upon or reach in traveling or in a course of procedure: We struck Rome before dark.
39.to make, conclude, or ratify (an agreement, treaty, etc.).
40.to estimate or determine (a mean or average).
41.to leave off (work) or stop (working) as a coercive measure, or as at the close of the day.
42.(of a union or union member)
a.to declare or engage in a suspension of (work) until an employer grants certain demands, such as pay increases, an improved pension plan, etc.
b.to declare or engage in a suspension of work against (a factory, employer, industry, etc.) until certain demands are met.
43.to draw (a straight line); paint the edge of an area with (a regular, usually straight line).
44.Law. to choose (a jury) from a panel by striking off names until only the required number remains.
–verb (used without object)
45.to deal or aim a blow or stroke, as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer.
46.to make an attack, esp. a planned military assault: Our troops struck at dawn.
47.to knock, rap, or tap.
48.to hit or dash on or against something, as a moving body does; come into forcible contact; collide.
49.to run upon a bank, rock, or other obstacle, as a ship does.
50.to fall, as light or sound does (fol. by on or upon).
51.to make an impression on the mind, senses, etc., as something seen or heard.
52.to come suddenly or unexpectedly (usually fol. by on or upon): to strike on a new way of doing a thing.
53.to sound by percussion: The clock strikes.
54.to be indicated by or as by such percussion: The hour has struck.
55.to ignite or be ignited by friction, as a match.
56.to make a stroke, as with the arms or legs in swimming or with an oar in rowing.
57.to produce a sound, music, etc., by touching a string or playing upon an instrument.
58.to take root, as a slip of a plant.
59.to go, proceed, or advance, esp. in a new direction: They struck out at dawn. They struck toward a new town.
60.
a.U.S. Army. to act as a voluntary paid servant to a commissioned officer.
b.U.S. Navy. to work hard: strive (followed by for): He is striking for yeoman.
61.(of a union or union member) to engage in a suspension of work until an employer or industry meets certain demands.
62.Nautical.
a.to lower the flag or colors, esp. as a salute or as a sign of surrender.
b.to run up the white flag of surrender.
63.Angling. (of fish) to swallow or take the bait.
–noun
64.an act or instance of striking.
65.a concerted stopping of work or withdrawal of workers' services, as to compel an employer to accede to workers' demands or in protest against terms or conditions imposed by an employer.
66.a temporary stoppage of something.
67.Also called strike plate. a metal plate on a jamb holding the bolt of the lock on a door when closed.
68.Baseball.
a.a pitch that is swung at and missed by the batter.
b.a pitch that passes through the strike zone and is not swung at by the batter.
c.a foul tip caught by the catcher when there are already two strikes against the batter.
d.a foul bunt when there are already two strikes against the batter.
e.a ball hit foul and not caught on the fly when there are less than two strikes against the batter.
69.Bowling.
a.the knocking down of all of the pins with the first bowl.
b.the score so made. Compare spare (def. 22).
70.Horology. the striking mechanism of a timepiece.
71.Brewing. the degree of excellence or strength of beer, ale, etc.
72.Angling.
a.a sharp jerk on the line, made in order to set the hook in the mouth of the fish.
b.a pull on the line, made by the fish in the process of taking the bait.
73.Coining. a quantity of coins struck at one time.
74.Geology.
a.the direction of the line formed by the intersection of the bedding plane of a bed or stratum of sedimentary rock with a horizontal plane.
b.the direction or trend of a structural feature, as an anticlinal axis or the lineation resulting from metamorphism.
75.the discovery of a rich vein or ore in mining, of petroleum in boring, etc.
76.Military. a planned attack, esp. by aircraft, on a target.
–adjective
77.Military. describing a fighter-bomber aircraft designed to carry large payloads at high speeds and low altitudes and also to engage in air-to-air combat.
—Verb phrases
78.strike in, to interrupt suddenly; intervene: I struck in with a suggestion.
79.strike off,
a.Printing. to print: They struck off 300 copies of the book.
b.to remove or cancel, as from a record, list, etc.: His name was struck off the waiting list.
c.to produce rapidly and easily: She struck off several letters and had no more work to do.
d.to depart rapidly: We struck off for the country.
80.strike out,
a.Baseball. to put out or be put out by a strike-out: The pitcher walked two and struck out three. He struck out twice in three times at bat.
b.(of a person or effort) to fail: His next two business ventures struck out.
c.to lose favor.
d.to erase; cross out.
e.to set forth; venture forth: She struck out on her own at the age of 18.
81.strike up,
a.to begin to play or to sing: The orchestra struck up a waltz.
b.to set in operation; begin: Strike up the band!
c.to bring into being; commence; begin: to strike up an acquaintance with new neighbors.
—Idioms
82.have two strikes against one, to be in an unfavorable or a critical position: His age and his lack of education are two strikes against him in his search for a job.
83.on strike, engaged in a stoppage of work, services, or other activities, as by union workers to get better wages.
84.strike camp, to dismantle and pack up equipment; prepare to move on; break camp: The army struck camp and moved on.
85.strike hands, to conclude a bargain, as by shaking or joining hands; confirm an agreement: They reached a price satisfactory to both of them, and struck hands on it.
86.strike home,
a.to deal an effective blow, hit a vulnerable part, or wound critically or mortally: The second arrow struck home.
b.to have the intended effect; hit the mark: The sermon on Christian charity struck home.
87.strike it rich,
a.to come upon a valuable mineral or oil deposit.
b.to have sudden or unexpected financial success: She struck it rich in real estate.
88.strike oil. oil (def. 18).
[Origin: bef. 1000; 1768 for def. 65; (v.) ME striken to stroke, beat, cross out, OE strīcan to stroke, make level; c. G streichen; (n.) ME: unit of dry measure (i.e., something leveled off; see strick), deriv. of the v.; akin to streak, stroke1]

—Related forms
strikeless, adjective

—Synonyms 1. Strike, hit, knock imply suddenly bringing one body in contact with another. Strike suggests such an action in a general way: to strike a child. Hit is less formal than strike, and often implies giving a single blow, but usually a strong one and definitely aimed: to hit a baseball. To knock is to strike, often with a tendency to displace the object struck; it also means to strike repeatedly: to knock someone down; to knock at a door. See also beat.
—Antonyms 1. miss.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
strike       (strīk)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   struck (strŭk), struck or strick·en (strĭk'ən), strik·ing, strikes

v.   tr.
    1. To hit sharply, as with the hand, the fist, or a weapon.
    2. To inflict (a blow).
    3. To collide with or crash into: She struck the desk with her knee.
    4. To cause to come into violent or forceful contact: She struck her knee against the desk.
    5. To thrust (a weapon, for example) in or into someone or something: struck the sword into the dragon.
    6. To damage or destroy, as by forceful contact: Lightning struck the tree.
    7. To snap at or seize (a bait).
    8. To hook (a fish that has taken the bait) by a pull on the line.
    9. To produce by friction or a blow: struck fire from the flints.
    10. To produce flame, light, or a spark from by friction: strike a match.
    11. To come upon; discover: struck gold.
    12. To come to; attain: finally struck the main trail.
    13. To fall upon; shine on: A bright light struck her face.
    14. To become audible to: An odd sound struck his ear.
    15. To cause (a strong emotion) to penetrate deeply: struck terror into their hearts.
    16. To affect or overcome with strong emotion: She was struck with alarm at the news.
    17. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    18. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    19. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    20. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    21. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    22. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    23. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    24. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    25. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
  2. To penetrate or pierce: was struck in the leg by a bullet.
    1. To collide with or crash into: She struck the desk with her knee.
    2. To cause to come into violent or forceful contact: She struck her knee against the desk.
    3. To thrust (a weapon, for example) in or into someone or something: struck the sword into the dragon.
    4. To damage or destroy, as by forceful contact: Lightning struck the tree.
    5. To snap at or seize (a bait).
    6. To hook (a fish that has taken the bait) by a pull on the line.
    7. To produce by friction or a blow: struck fire from the flints.
    8. To produce flame, light, or a spark from by friction: strike a match.
    9. To come upon; discover: struck gold.
    10. To come to; attain: finally struck the main trail.
    11. To fall upon; shine on: A bright light struck her face.
    12. To become audible to: An odd sound struck his ear.
    13. To cause (a strong emotion) to penetrate deeply: struck terror into their hearts.
    14. To affect or overcome with strong emotion: She was struck with alarm at the news.
    15. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    16. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    17. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    18. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    19. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    20. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    21. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    22. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    23. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
  4. To make a military attack on; assault.
  5. To afflict suddenly, as with a disease or impairment: was stricken with cancer.
  6. To cause to become by or as if by a blow: struck him dead.
    1. To snap at or seize (a bait).
    2. To hook (a fish that has taken the bait) by a pull on the line.
    3. To produce by friction or a blow: struck fire from the flints.
    4. To produce flame, light, or a spark from by friction: strike a match.
    5. To come upon; discover: struck gold.
    6. To come to; attain: finally struck the main trail.
    7. To fall upon; shine on: A bright light struck her face.
    8. To become audible to: An odd sound struck his ear.
    9. To cause (a strong emotion) to penetrate deeply: struck terror into their hearts.
    10. To affect or overcome with strong emotion: She was struck with alarm at the news.
    11. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    12. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    13. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    14. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    15. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    16. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    17. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    18. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    19. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
  8. To wound by biting. Used especially of a snake.
  9. To form by stamping, printing, or punching: strike a medallion.
  10. To produce or play by manipulating strings or keys: strike a B flat; strike w, t, and y on the typewriter.
  11. To indicate by a percussive or chiming sound: The clock struck nine.
  12. To produce as if by playing a musical instrument: The report struck a positive note in the final paragraph.
    1. To produce by friction or a blow: struck fire from the flints.
    2. To produce flame, light, or a spark from by friction: strike a match.
    3. To come upon; discover: struck gold.
    4. To come to; attain: finally struck the main trail.
    5. To fall upon; shine on: A bright light struck her face.
    6. To become audible to: An odd sound struck his ear.
    7. To cause (a strong emotion) to penetrate deeply: struck terror into their hearts.
    8. To affect or overcome with strong emotion: She was struck with alarm at the news.
    9. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    10. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    11. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    12. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    13. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    14. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    15. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    16. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    17. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
  14. To remove or separate with or as if with a blow: struck the wasp from his shoulder; struck off the diseased branch with a machete.
  15. To eliminate or expunge: strike a statement from the court records.
    1. To come upon; discover: struck gold.
    2. To come to; attain: finally struck the main trail.
    3. To fall upon; shine on: A bright light struck her face.
    4. To become audible to: An odd sound struck his ear.
    5. To cause (a strong emotion) to penetrate deeply: struck terror into their hearts.
    6. To affect or overcome with strong emotion: She was struck with alarm at the news.
    7. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    8. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    9. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    10. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    11. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    12. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    13. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    14. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    15. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
    1. To fall upon; shine on: A bright light struck her face.
    2. To become audible to: An odd sound struck his ear.
    3. To cause (a strong emotion) to penetrate deeply: struck terror into their hearts.
    4. To affect or overcome with strong emotion: She was struck with alarm at the news.
    5. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    6. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    7. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    8. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    9. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    10. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    11. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    12. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    13. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
  18. To affect keenly or forcibly; impress. See Synonyms at affect1.
  19. To enter the mind of: The thought struck me from out of the blue.
    1. To cause (a strong emotion) to penetrate deeply: struck terror into their hearts.
    2. To affect or overcome with strong emotion: She was struck with alarm at the news.
    3. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    4. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    5. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    6. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    7. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    8. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    9. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    10. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    11. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
    1. To make and confirm the terms of (a bargain).
    2. To achieve (a balance, for example) by careful weighing or reckoning.
    3. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    4. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    5. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    6. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    7. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    8. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    9. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
  22. To take on or assume (a pose, for example).
  23. Nautical
    1. To haul down (a mast or sail).
    2. To lower (a flag or sail) in salute or surrender.
    3. To lower (cargo) into a hold.
    4. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    5. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    6. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    7. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
  24. To remove (theatrical properties, a set, or technical equipment) from a stage.
  25. To dismantle and pack up for departure: strike camp.
  26. To undertake a strike against (an employer).
    1. To level or even (a measure, as of grain).
    2. To smooth or shape with a strickle.
    3. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    4. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.
    1. To send (plant roots) out or down.
    2. To cause (a plant cutting) to take root.

v.   intr.
  1. To deal a blow or blows with or as if with the fist or a weapon; hit.
  2. To aim a stroke or blow.
  3. To make contact suddenly or violently; collide: A car and a bus struck at the intersection.
  4. To begin a military attack: The enemy struck unexpectedly.
  5. To penetrate or pierce: The cold struck right through our jackets.
  6. To take bait: The fish are striking.
  7. To dart or shoot suddenly forward in an attempt to inflict a bite or wound. Used of snakes and wild animals.
  8. To set out or proceed, especially in a new direction: struck off into the forest.
  9. To begin to move: The horse struck into a gallop.
    1. To send out roots.
    2. To sprout.
    3. To indicate the time by making a percussive or chiming sound: The clock struck just as we left.
    4. To become indicated by a percussive or chiming sound: The hour has struck.
    1. To indicate the time by making a percussive or chiming sound: The clock struck just as we left.
    2. To become indicated by a percussive or chiming sound: The hour has struck.
  12. To become ignited.
  13. To discover something suddenly or unexpectedly: struck on a new approach.
  14. To fall, as light or sound: sunlight striking on the cliffs; a din struck upon their ears.
  15. To have an effect; make an impression.
  16. To engage in a strike against an employer.
  17. To interrupt by pushing oneself forward: struck rudely into the conversation.
  18. To strive diligently for a specific technical rating in the U.S. Navy.

n.  
  1. An act or a gesture of striking.
  2. An attack, especially a military air attack on a single group of targets.
    1. A cessation of work by employees in support of demands made on their employer, as for higher pay or improved conditions.
    2. A temporary stoppage of normal activity undertaken as a protest.
    3. The taking of bait by a fish.
    4. A pull on a fishing line indicating this.
    5. Abbr. S A pitched ball that is counted against the batter, typically one that is swung at and missed, fouled off, or judged to have passed through the strike zone.
    6. A perfectly thrown ball.
    7. To pitch three strikes to (a batter), putting the batter out.
    8. To be struck out.
    9. To start to play music or sing: The band suddenly struck up.
    10. To start to play or sing (something): The orchestra struck up a waltz.
    11. To cause to start to play or sing: Strike up the band!
  4. A sudden achievement or valuable discovery, as of a precious mineral.
    1. The taking of bait by a fish.
    2. A pull on a fishing line indicating this.
    3. Abbr. S A pitched ball that is counted against the batter, typically one that is swung at and missed, fouled off, or judged to have passed through the strike zone.
    4. A perfectly thrown ball.
    5. To pitch three strikes to (a batter), putting the batter out.
    6. To be struck out.
    7. To start to play music or sing: The band suddenly struck up.
    8. To start to play or sing (something): The orchestra struck up a waltz.
    9. To cause to start to play or sing: Strike up the band!
  6. A quantity of coins or medals struck at the same time.
  7. Baseball
    1. Abbr. S A pitched ball that is counted against the batter, typically one that is swung at and missed, fouled off, or judged to have passed through the strike zone.
    2. A perfectly thrown ball.
    3. To pitch three strikes to (a batter), putting the batter out.
    4. To be struck out.
    5. To start to play music or sing: The band suddenly struck up.
    6. To start to play or sing (something): The orchestra struck up a waltz.
    7. To cause to start to play or sing: Strike up the band!
  8. An unfavorable condition, circumstance, or characteristic; a disadvantage: "[They] were trying to sell a movie with several strikes against it as a mass-audience 'property'" (John Sayles).
  9. An unlawful act, especially one that results in a conviction.
  10. Sports The knocking down of all the pins in bowling with the first bowl of a frame.
  11. The taking root and growing of a plant cutting.
  12. Geology The course or bearing of a structural surface, such as an inclined bed, as it intersects a horizontal plane.
  13. The removal of all properties, sets, and technical equipment following a final performance, as of a play or concert.
  14. A strickle.
  15. To cause to fall by a blow.
  16. To incapacitate or kill: He was struck down by tuberculosis.
  17. To render ineffective; cancel: The court struck down the law.
  18. To begin a course of action.
  19. To set out energetically.
  20. Baseball
    1. To pitch three strikes to (a batter), putting the batter out.
    2. To be struck out.
    3. To start to play music or sing: The band suddenly struck up.
    4. To start to play or sing (something): The orchestra struck up a waltz.
    5. To cause to start to play or sing: Strike up the band!
  21. To fail in an endeavor.
    1. To start to play music or sing: The band suddenly struck up.
    2. To start to play or sing (something): The orchestra struck up a waltz.
    3. To cause to start to play or sing: Strike up the band!
  23. To initiate or begin: strike up a conversation.

Phrasal Verb(s):
strike down
  1. To cause to fall by a blow.
  2. To incapacitate or kill: He was struck down by tuberculosis.
  3. To render ineffective; cancel: The court struck down the law.
strike out
  1. To begin a course of action.
  2. To set out energetically.
  3. Baseball
    1. To pitch three strikes to (a batter), putting the batter out.
    2. To be struck out.
  4. To fail in an endeavor.
strike up
    1. To start to play music or sing: The band suddenly struck up.
    2. To start to play or sing (something): The orchestra struck up a waltz.
    3. To cause to start to play or sing: Strike up the band!
  2. To initiate or begin: strike up a conversation.

Idiom(s):
on strike
Engaged in a work stoppage: Most of the employees were on strike.

Idiom(s):
strike hands
To conclude a bargain or reach an agreement.

Idiom(s):
strike it rich Informal
To have sudden financial success.

[Middle English striken, from Old English strīcan, to stroke; see streig- in Indo-European roots.]

Our Living Language  : The central role that baseball has played in American culture is known to all, but is particularly evident in the abundance of baseball expressions applied to circumstances outside the sport. When people say that they have struck out in an endeavor, they are using one such expression. We routinely speak of ballpark figures or estimates, of some unexpected quirk of fate or tricky question on an exam being a curve ball, of minor-league or bush-league players in a field or business, who might one day enter the big leagues. If we can't go to lunch with a person who invites us, we take a rain check. We can go to bat or pinch-hit for a friend. We can be off base about something or so disconnected we are out in left field. When we cooperate we are playing ball, and when we get serious or even ruthless about something, we are playing hardball. Some unfortunate people are said to have been born with two strikes against them if bad things come their way right off the bat. The list could go on and on, but that would only be running up the score.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
strike  (v.)
O.E. strican "pass over lightly, stroke, smooth, rub," also "go, proceed" (past tense strac, pp. stricen), from P.Gmc. *strik- (cf. O.N. strykva "to stroke," O.Fris. strika, M.Du. streken, Du. strikjen "to smooth, stroke, rub," O.H.G. strihhan, Ger. streichen), from PIE base *str(e)ig- "to stroke, rub, press" (see strigil). Related to streak and stroke, and perhaps influenced in sense development by cognate O.N. striuka. Sense of "to deal a blow" developed by 1325; meaning "to collide" is from c.1340; that of "to hit with a missile" is from 1377. Meaning "to cancel or expunge" (as with the stroke of a pen) is attested from c.1386. An older sense is preserved in strike for "go toward."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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strike  (n.)
"concentrated cessation of work by a body of employees," 1810, from verb meaning "refuse to work to force an employer to meet demands" (1768), from strike (v.). Perhaps from notion of striking or "downing" one's tools, or from sailors' practice of striking (lowering) a ship's sails as a symbol of refusal to go to sea (1768), which preserves the verb's original sense of "make level, smooth." Baseball sense is first recorded 1841; bowling sense attested from 1859. Meaning "sudden military attack" is attested from 1942.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
strike

noun
1. a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions; "the strike lasted more than a month before it was settled" 
2. an attack that is intended to seize or inflict damage on or destroy an objective; "the strike was scheduled to begin at dawn" 
3. a gentle blow [syn: rap] 
4. a score in tenpins: knocking down all ten with the first ball; "he finished with three strikes in the tenth frame" 
5. (baseball) a pitch that the batter swings at and misses, or that the batter hits into foul territory, or that the batter does not swing at but the umpire judges to be in the area over home plate and between the batter's knees and shoulders; "this pitcher throws more strikes than balls" 
6. a conspicuous success; "that song was his first hit and marked the beginning of his career"; "that new Broadway show is a real smasher"; "the party went with a bang" [syn: hit] 

verb
1. deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon; "The teacher struck the child"; "the opponent refused to strike"; "The boxer struck the attacker dead" 
2. have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck me as odd" [syn: affect] 
3. hit against; come into sudden contact with; "The car hit a tree"; "He struck the table with his elbow" [syn: hit] [ant: miss] 
4. make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target; "The Germans struck Poland on Sept. 1, 1939"; "We must strike the enemy's oil fields"; "in the fifth inning, the Giants struck, sending three runners home to win the game 5 to 2" 
5. indicate (a certain time) by striking; "The clock struck midnight"; "Just when I entered, the clock struck" 
6. affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely; "We were hit by really bad weather"; "He was stricken with cancer when he was still a teenager"; "The earthquake struck at midnight" [syn: hit] 
7. stop work in order to press demands; "The auto workers are striking for higher wages"; "The employees walked out when their demand for better benefits was not met" 
8. touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly; "Light fell on her face"; "The sun shone on the fields"; "The light struck the golden necklace"; "A strange sound struck my ears" [syn: fall] 
9. attain; "The horse finally struck a pace" [syn: come to] 
10. produce by manipulating keys or strings of musical instruments, also metaphorically; "The pianist strikes a middle C"; "strike 'z' on the keyboard"; "her comments struck a sour note" 
11. cause to form (an electric arc) between electrodes of an arc lamp; "strike an arc" 
12. find unexpectedly; "the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb"; "she struck a goldmine"; "The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake" 
13. produce by ignition or a blow; "strike fire from the flintstone"; "strike a match" 
14. remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line; "Please strike this remark from the record"; "scratch that remark" 
15. cause to experience suddenly; "Panic struck me"; "An interesting idea hit her"; "A thought came to me"; "The thought struck terror in our minds"; "They were struck with fear" [syn: hit] 
16. drive something violently into a location; "he hit his fist on the table"; "she struck her head on the low ceiling" [syn: hit] 
17. occupy or take on; "He assumes the lotus position"; "She took her seat on the stage"; "We took our seats in the orchestra"; "She took up her position behind the tree"; "strike a pose" [syn: assume] 
18. form by stamping, punching, or printing; "strike coins"; "strike a medal" [syn: mint] 
19. smooth with a strickle; "strickle the grain in the measure" [syn: strickle] 
20. pierce with force; "The bullet struck her thigh"; "The icy wind struck through our coats" 
21. arrive at after reckoning, deliberating, and weighing; "strike a balance"; "strike a bargain" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

strike

In addition to the idioms beginning with strike, also see go out (on strike); happy medium, strike a; lightning never strikes twice; on strike; two strikes against.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
strike       (strīk)  Pronunciation Key 
The course or bearing of a structural surface, such as an inclined bed or a fault plane, as it intersects a horizontal plane. See illustration at dip.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
strike

A concerted refusal by employees in a particular business or industry to work. Its goal is usually to force employers to meet demands respecting wages and other working conditions.


The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: strike
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: struck; struck also strick·en; strik·ing
intransitive verb 1 : to remove or delete something
2 : to stop work in order to force an employer to comply with demands transitive verb 1 : to remove or delete from a legal document and esp. from the record of a trial struck that part of [the] injunction —National Law Journal>
2 : to remove (a prospective juror) from a venire
3 : to engage in a strike against (an employer)

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: strike
Function: noun
1 : the removal of a potential juror from a venire —compare CHALLENGE
2 : a concerted work stoppage, interruption, or slowdown by a body of workers to enforce compliance with demands made on an employer —see also RENT STRIKE Labor Management Relations Act in the IMPORTANT LAWS section —compare JOB ACTION
economic strike
: a strike that is brought against an employer because of a dispute regarding economic benefits or conditions (as wages)
NOTE: Workers engaged in an economic strike can legally be replaced permanently. No-strike clauses in collective bargaining agreements have been held to bar only economic strikes and not strikes protesting an unfair labor practice.
general strike
: a simultaneous strike by all unionized workers of all trades and industries
jurisdictional strike
: a strike that is called against an employer as a result of a dispute with another union as to the right to perform particular work
organizational strike
: RECOGNITION STRIKE in this entry
primary strike
: a strike by workers against their employer with whom they have a dispute
recognition strike
: a strike by workers against their employer seeking to force the employer to recognize the union as their collective bargaining agent called also organizational strike
secondary strike
: SYMPATHY STRIKE in this entry
sit–down strike
: a strike during which employees remain in and occupy the employer's premises as a protest and means of forcing compliance with demands
NOTE: This form of strike has been illegal according to both statute and case law since the early 1940s.
sym·pa·thy strike
: a strike by workers not involved in a labor dispute in support of other striking employees or unions called also secondary strike
wild·cat strike
: a strike by workers that is not authorized by the union

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Two Strike, SD (CDP, FIPS 64840) Location: 43.21304 N, 100.87521 W
Population (1990): 112 (29 housing units)
Area: 6.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Strike

Strike\, n. 1. A sudden finding of rich ore in mining; hence, any sudden success or good fortune, esp. financial.

2. (Bowling, U. S.) Act of leveling all the pins with the first bowl; also, the score thus made. Sometimes called double spare.

3. (Baseball) Any actual or constructive striking at the pitched ball, three of which, if the ball is not hit fairly, cause the batter to be put out; hence, any of various acts or events which are ruled as equivalent to such a striking, as failing to strike at a ball so pitched that the batter should have struck at it.

4. (Tenpins) Same as Ten-strike.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Strike

Strike\, v. t. [imp. Struck; p. p. Struck, Stricken(Stroock, Strucken, Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Striking. Struck is more commonly used in the p. p. than stricken.] [OE. striken to strike, proceed, flow, AS. str[=i]can to go, proceed, akin to D. strijken to rub, stroke, strike, to move, go, G. streichen, OHG. str[=i]hhan, L. stringere to touch lightly, to graze, to strip off (but perhaps not to L. stringere in sense to draw tight), striga a row, a furrow. Cf. Streak, Stroke.]

1. To touch or hit with some force, either with the hand or with an instrument; to smite; to give a blow to, either with the hand or with any instrument or missile.

He at Philippi kept His sword e'en like a dancer; while I struck The lean and wrinkled Cassius. --Shak.

2. To come in collision with; to strike against; as, a bullet struck him; the wave struck the boat amidships; the ship struck a reef.

3. To give, as a blow; to impel, as with a blow; to give a force to; to dash; to cast.

They shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two sideposts. --Ex. xii. 7.

Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow. --Byron.

4. To stamp or impress with a stroke; to coin; as, to strike coin from metal: to strike dollars at the mint.

5. To thrust in; to cause to enter or penetrate; to set in the earth; as, a tree strikes its roots deep.

6. To punish; to afflict; to smite.

To punish the just is not good, nor strike princes for equity. --Prov. xvii. 26.

7. To cause to sound by one or more beats; to indicate or notify by audible strokes; as, the clock strikes twelve; the drums strike up a march.

8. To lower; to let or take down; to remove; as, to strike sail; to strike a flag or an ensign, as in token of surrender; to strike a yard or a topmast in a gale; to strike a tent; to strike the centering of an arch.

9. To make a sudden impression upon, as by a blow; to affect sensibly with some strong emotion; as, to strike the mind, with surprise; to strike one with wonder, alarm, dread, or horror.

Nice works of art strike and surprise us most on the first view. --Atterbury.

They please as beauties, here as wonders strike. --Pope.

10. To affect in some particular manner by a sudden impression or impulse; as, the plan proposed strikes me favorably; to strike one dead or blind.

How often has stricken you dumb with his irony! --Landor.

11. To cause or produce by a stroke, or suddenly, as by a stroke; as, to strike a light.

Waving wide her myrtle wand, She strikes a universal peace through sea and land. --Milton.

12. To cause to ignite; as, to strike a match.

13. To make and ratify; as, to strike a bargain.

Note: Probably borrowed from the L. f[oe]dus ferrire, to strike a compact, so called because an animal was struck and killed as a sacrifice on such occasions.

14. To take forcibly or fraudulently; as, to strike money. [Old Slang]

15. To level, as a measure of grain, salt, or the like, by scraping off with a straight instrument what is above the level of the top.

16. (Masonry) To cut off, as a mortar joint, even with the face of the wall, or inward at a slight angle.

17. To hit upon, or light upon, suddenly; as, my eye struck a strange word; they soon struck the trail.

18. To borrow money of; to make a demand upon; as, he struck a friend for five dollars. [Slang]

19. To lade into a cooler, as a liquor. --B. Edwards.

20. To stroke or pass lightly; to wave.

Behold, I thought, He will . . . strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. --2 Kings v. 11.

21. To advance; to cause to go forward; -- used only in past participle. "Well struck in years." --Shak.

To strike an attitude, To strike a balance. See under Attitude, and Balance.

To strike a jury (Law), to constitute a special jury ordered by a court, by each party striking out a certain number of names from a prepared list of jurors, so as to reduce it to the number of persons required by law. --Burrill.

To strike a lead. (a) (Mining) To find a vein of ore. (b) Fig.: To find a way to fortune. [Colloq.]

To strike a ledger, or an account, to balance it.

To strike hands with. (a) To shake hands with. --Halliwell. (b) To make a compact or agreement with; to agree with.

To strike off. (a) To erase from an account; to deduct; as, to strike off the interest of a debt. (b) (Print.) To impress; to print; as, to strike off a thousand copies of a book.

(c) To separate by a blow or any sudden action; as, to strike off what is superfluous or corrupt.

To strike oil, to find petroleum when boring for it; figuratively, to make a lucky hit financially. [Slang, U.S.]

To strike one luck, to shake hands with one and wish good luck. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.

To strike out. (a) To produce by collision; to force out, as, to strike out sparks with steel. (b) To blot out; to efface; to erase. "To methodize is as necessary as to strike out." --Pope. (c) To form by a quick effort; to devise; to invent; to contrive, as, to strike out a new plan of finance. (d) (Baseball) To cause a player to strike out; -- said of the pitcher. See To strike out, under Strike, v. i.

To strike sail. See under Sail.

To strike up. (a) To cause to sound; to begin to beat. "Strike up the drums." --Shak. (b) To begin to sing or play; as, to strike up a tune. (c) To raise (as sheet metal), in making diahes, pans, etc., by blows or pressure in a die.

To strike work, to quit work; to go on a strike.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Strike

Strike\, v. i. To move; to advance; to proceed; to take a course; as, to strike into the fields.

A mouse . . . struck forth sternly [bodily]. --Piers Plowman.

2. To deliver a quick blow or thrust; to give blows.

And fiercely took his trenchant blade in hand, With which he stroke so furious and so fell. --Spenser.

Strike now, or else the iron cools. --Shak.

3. To hit; to collide; to dush; to clash; as, a hammer strikes against the bell of a clock.

4. To sound by percussion, with blows, or as with blows; to be struck; as, the clock strikes.

A deep sound strikes like a rising knell. --Byron.

5. To make an attack; to aim a blow.

A puny subject strikes At thy great glory. --Shak.

Struck for throne, and striking found his doom. --Tennyson.

6. To touch; to act by appulse.

Hinder light but from striking on it [porphyry], and its colors vanish. --Locke.

7. To run upon a rock or bank; to be stranded; as, the ship struck in the night.

8. To pass with a quick or strong effect; to dart; to penetrate.

Till a dart strike through his liver. --Prov. vii. 23.

Now and then a glittering beam of wit or passion strikes through the obscurity of the poem. --Dryden.

9. To break forth; to commence suddenly; -- with into; as, to strike into reputation; to strike into a run.

10. To lower a flag, or colors, in token of respect, or to signify a surrender of a ship to an enemy.

That the English ships of war should not strike in the Danish seas. --Bp. Burnet.

11. To quit work in order to compel an increase, or prevent a reduction, of wages.

12. To become attached to something; -- said of the spat of oysters.

13. To steal money. [Old Slang, Eng.] --Nares.

To strike at, to aim a blow at.

To strike for, to start suddenly on a course for.

To strike home, to give a blow which reaches its object, to strike with effect.

To strike in. (a) To enter suddenly. (b) To disappear from the surface, with internal effects, as an eruptive disease. (c) To come in suddenly; to interpose; to interrupt. "I proposed the embassy of Constantinople for Mr. Henshaw, but my Lord Winchelsea struck in." --Evelyn. (d) To join in after another has begun,as in singing.

To strike in with, to conform to; to suit itself to; to side with, to join with at once. "To assert this is to strike in with the known enemies of God's grace." --South.

To strike out. (a) To start; to wander; to make a sudden excursion; as, to strike out into an irregular course of life. (b) To strike with full force. (c) (Baseball) To be put out for not hitting the ball during one's turn at the bat.

To strike up, to commence to play as a musician; to begin to sound, as an instrument. "Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up." --Shak.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Strike

Strike\, n. 1. The act of striking.

2. An instrument with a straight edge for leveling a measure of grain, salt, and the like, scraping off what is above the level of the top; a strickle.

3. A bushel; four pecks. [Prov. Eng.] --Tusser.

4. An old measure of four bushels. [Prov. Eng.]

5. Fullness of measure; hence, excellence of quality.

Three hogsheads of ale of the first strike. --Sir W. Scott.

6. An iron pale or standard in a gate or fence. [Obs.]

7. The act of quitting work; specifically, such an act by a body of workmen, done as a means of enforcing compliance with demands made on their employer.

Strikes are the insurrections of labor. --F. A. Walker.

8. (Iron Working) A puddler's stirrer.

9. (Geol.) The horizontal direction of the outcropping edges of tilted rocks; or, the direction of a horizontal line supposed to be drawn on the surface of a tilted stratum. It is at right angles to the dip.

10. The extortion of money, or the attempt to extort money, by threat of injury; blackmailing.

Strike block (Carp.), a plane shorter than a jointer, used for fitting a short joint. --Moxon.

Strike of flax, a handful that may be hackled at once. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] --Chaucer.

Strike of sugar. (Sugar Making) (a) The act of emptying the teache, or last boiler, in which the cane juice is exposed to heat, into the coolers. (b) The quantity of the sirup thus emptied at once.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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