strike Definition

strike
verb struck, striking

1. To hit someone or something; to give a blow to them.

Thesaurus: punch, thump, beat, hit, box, assault, assail, clout, cuff, knock, pound, smite, slap.
2. To come or bring into heavy contact with someone or something.

Example: The car struck the lamppost
3. To make a particular impression on someone.

Example: They struck me as a strange couple
4. To come into one's mind; to occur to someone.

Example: It struck me as strange
5. To cause (a match) to ignite through friction.

Thesaurus: kindle, inflame, ignite, burn, light.
tr & intr
6. Said of a clock: to indicate the time, eg on the hour, half-hour, quarter-hour, with chimes, etc.

Example: The town hall clock strikes the hour and half-hour
intr
7. To happen suddenly.

Example: Disaster struck
intr
8. To make a sudden attack.
9. To afflict someone suddenly; to cause to become by affliction.

Example: The news struck him dumb
10. To introduce or inject suddenly.

Example: The thought struck terror into them
11. To arrive at or settle (eg a bargain or a balance).

Example: struck a fair deal for the car
12. To find a source of (eg oil, gold, etc).
intr
13. To stop working as part of a collective protest against an employer, working conditions, pay, etc.

Example: The factory has been striking for two weeks
Thesaurus: walk out, picket, stop, quit, revolt, sit in, slow down.
14. To dismantle (a camp).
15. To make (a coin) by stamping metal.
16. To adopt (a posture or attitude).
17. To lower (a flag).
tr & intr
18. To draw (a line) in order to cross something out.

noun

1. An act of hitting or dealing a blow.

Thesaurus: hit, stroke, blow, punch, wallop.
2. A situation where a labour force refuses to work in order to protest against an employer, working conditions, pay, etc in the hope that, by doing this, their demands will be met.

Thesaurus: walkout, go-slow, slowdown, deadlock, mutiny, refusal, stoppage.
3. A prolonged refusal to engage in a regular or expected activity, such as eating, in order to make some kind of a protest.

Example: went on hunger strike
4. A military attack, especially one that is carried out by aircraft.

Example: a pre-emptive strike on the ground troops
Thesaurus: attack, sortie, assault, bombardment, raid.
5. A discovery of a source, eg of gold, oil, etc.
6. ten-pin bowling.
The knocking down of all pins with a single ball. Compare spare noun 3.
7. cricket.
The position of being the batsman bowled at.
Example: take strike
8. baseball.
A ball that the batter has taken a swing at but missed.

Idiom: on strike

Taking part in an industrial or other strike.

Idiom: strike it lucky (strike it rich)

To enjoy luck or become rich suddenly and unexpectedly.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon strican.

Phrasal Verb: strike at someone or something

To attempt to hit them or it.

Phrasal Verb: strike back

To retaliate.

Phrasal Verb: strike someone down

To afflict them with something.
Example: He was struck down with MS in his twenties
To cause to die.

Phrasal Verb: strike someone off

To remove (the name of a member of a professional body, eg a lawyer, doctor, accountant, etc) from the appropriate register, especially because of misconductTo remove (someone's name from an official list, register, etc). See also be struck off at struck.

Phrasal Verb: strike something off

To cancel (especially with a stroke of a pen).
Example: I like to strike off the crossword clues as I get the answers
To remove it (especially by using a sword, axe, etc).
Example: struck off his head

Phrasal Verb: strike on something

To come upon or arrive at something (especially an idea) by chance.

Phrasal Verb: strike out

To attempt to injure, damage, etc, eg with a punch, abuse, criticism, etc).
Example: The cat struck out with her claws
Example: struck out at the press for their insensitivity
Said of a batter: to be dismissed by means of three strikes (see strike noun 8).

Phrasal Verb: strike someone out

To dismiss (a batter) by means of three strikes.

Phrasal Verb: strike something out

To draw a line through (eg a name, etc) in order to to show a cancellation, removal, deletion, etc.

Phrasal Verb: strike out for something

To head towards it, especially in a determined way.

Phrasal Verb: strike up

Said of a band, etc: to begin to play.

Phrasal Verb: strike something up

To start (eg a conversation, friendship, etc).