strike */*/*/

I UK [straɪk] / US verb
Word forms "strike":
present tense I/you/we/they strike he/she/it strikes present participle striking past tense struck UK [strʌk] / US past participle struck

1) [intransitive/transitive] formal to hit against, or to crash into, someone or something

One of the bullets struck her forearm.

The boat struck the bottom.

strike someone/something on the something:

The ball struck her hard on the left shoulder.

be struck by something:

She's in hospital with head injuries after being struck by a car.

a) [transitive] formal to hurt a part of your body by accidentally knocking it against an object

strike on:

Gordon fell from his bike and struck his head on the ground.

b) [intransitive/transitive] if lightning strikes something such as a tree or a building, it hits it and damages or destroys it

Can lightning ever strike twice in the same place?

Judy's house was struck by lightning during the storm.

2)

a) [transitive] formal to hit someone or something with your hand, a tool, or a weapon

strike someone/something on the something:

He fled empty-handed after striking a security guard on the head.

strike something with something:

"Idiot!" cried Simmons, striking his forehead with the palm of his hand.

strike (someone) a blow (on something):

She had been struck a blow on the back of the head.

b) [transitive] formal to hit or kick something such as a ball with your hand, foot, or a piece of sports equipment

She's really striking the ball well and has her confidence back.

He struck a superb shot into the back of the net.

3)

a) [intransitive] to make a sudden violent or illegal attack on someone or something

Police say they fear the man could strike again.

The thief struck sometime between 8.30 am and 6 pm.

strike against:

We will use these air bases to strike against the northern territories.

b) [intransitive/transitive] to make a successful attack in a competition, especially by scoring a goal or point

Anderson struck twice in three minutes in the first half.

Henry struck the winning goal seconds before the end of the match.

4) [intransitive] to refuse to work for a period of time as a protest about your pay or conditions of work

striking factory workers

The right to strike was then established in the constitution.

strike for:

Pilots were striking for a 6% salary increase.

strike over:

Car workers were threatening to strike over the job losses.

5) [intransitive/transitive] if something unpleasant or dangerous strikes, or if it strikes someone or something, it happens suddenly and unexpectedly and causes harm or damage to them

Accidents can strike at any time.

Three earthquakes struck Peru on April 5th and 6th.

tragedy strikes (someone/something):

That same year, tragedy struck the family again.

disaster strikes (someone/something):

Disaster struck within minutes of take-off.

6) [transitive, never progressive] if a thought or idea strikes you, it enters your mind suddenly or unexpectedly

It was then that the thought struck her.

He stopped speaking, struck by a sudden thought.

The first thing that struck me about Alex was his amazing self-confidence.

it strikes someone that:

It struck her that this was not perhaps the best time to bring up the subject.

it strikes someone how:

It struck us how ill he was looking these days.

7) [transitive] to press a key or to hit a musical instrument with a finger or a hand in order to produce a note or a series of notes

8)

a) [transitive] to rub a match with a short quick movement against a hard surface, producing a flame

He struck a match, shading it with his hand.

b) [intransitive] if a match strikes, it produces a flame as a result of being rubbed with a short quick movement against a hard surface

The matches won't strike if they're damp.

9) [intransitive/transitive] if a clock strikes or strikes a particular time, it makes a sound like a bell a particular number of times to show what time it is

The town hall clock struck midnight.

strike the hour (= make a sound at one o'clock, two o'clock etc):

One of the clocks struck the hour.

10) [transitive] to remove words from a document, for example by drawing a line through them

strike something from something:

Their names should be struck from the list of candidates.

strike something from the record:

The court reporter will strike that remark from the record.

11) [transitive] if light strikes something, it shines on it

Her hair looks red when light strikes it.

12) [transitive] to make something such as a deal or an agreement by which both sides get an advantage or a benefit

strike a deal/bargain:

These questions must be answered before a deal can be struck.

13) [transitive] to find something such as gold or oil by digging or drilling

14) [transitive, usually passive] to make a coin or medal by cutting it out of a piece of metal

The first English gold coin was struck in 1255.

15) [transitive] to lower and remove a structure such as a tent or sail

strike camp (= remove all the tents in it):

The order was given to strike camp at dawn.

strike a set (= remove the background and furniture used in a play, film, or television programme):

They were waiting for the director's order to strike the set.

•

be struck by/with something — if you are struck by/with something, it seems unusual, interesting, or impressive to you

The first time I saw her I was struck by her beauty.

strike a balance (between something and something) — to accept neither of two extreme positions or things but find a solution that is reasonable and fair

A balance must be struck between meeting housing needs and preserving the environment.

strike the/your eye — to be noticed

The picture immediately strikes the eye as you enter the room.

strike fear/terror/a chill into someone/someone's heart — to produce feelings of fear in someone

a subject guaranteed to strike fear in the hearts of parents

He was capable of striking terror into the enemy.

Her words struck a chill into me.

strike it rich/lucky — informal to suddenly become rich/lucky

After years as a struggling businessman he struck it lucky.

strike a pose/an attitude — to put your body into a particular position in order to create a particular effect

He threw out his arms and struck a final, triumphant pose.

within striking distance (of something) — close enough to be reached, attacked, or achieved; close enough to reach, attack, or achieve something

With the new train service, Northampton's now within striking distance.

Armoured divisions will soon be within striking distance of the capital.

- strike a blow for something

- strike the first blow

- strike gold

- strike someone as something

- strike while the iron is hot

Phrasal verbs:

- strike at

- strike back

- strike down

- strike off

- strike on

- strike out

- strike up

- strike upon

See:

home II

II UK [straɪk] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "strike":
singular strike plural strikes

1) a period of time during which people refuse to work, as a protest about pay or conditions of work

strike by:

A strike by transport workers was launched on August 12th.

strike over:

a 15-day strike over pay and poor safety conditions

be (out) on strike:

Workers have been out on strike since Friday.

call a strike (= ask people to start it):

The two main unions had called the strike.

a miners'/teachers' strike:

schools closed by a teachers' strike

a train/tube/dock strike:

A dock strike has crippled the port.

strike in protest at:

The strikes are in protest at the planned introduction of performance-related pay.

See:

hunger strike

2) a military attack, especially one in which planes drop bombs on an area

strike against:

the danger of an imminent military strike against the United States

strike on:

Cluster bombs were used in the strike on the airfield.

launch a strike (on/against someone/something):

Bush warned that America would launch strikes against them if the war spread.

See:

first strike

3) British a hit or kick of a ball, especially one with which you score a goal or a point

Stevens got the first goal with a brilliant strike in the fourth minute.

a) a situation in bowling in which you succeed in knocking down all the pins (= bottle shaped objects) with one ball

b) a failure to hit the ball in baseball

4) a discovery of something such as gold or oil by digging or drilling

•

one strike/two strikes/three strikes against someone/something — mainly American

informal one/two/three qualities, facts, or details that are considered a disadvantage