strike
strike Lexical Profile
strike Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An organized refusal by employees to work as a form of protest, typically in an attempt to gain concessions such as higher pay or improved working conditions from their employer.
"The transit workers voted in favor of a strike after contract negotiations stalled."
A sudden, forceful blow, impact, or targeted attack.
"The old oak tree survived a direct lightning strike during last night's storm."
In baseball, a legal pitch that is either swung at and missed, hit foul, or passes through the designated zone without being swung at; or in bowling, the act of knocking down all ten pins with the first ball of a frame.
"She bowled three consecutive strikes to win the championship match."
A sudden discovery of a valuable natural resource in the earth, such as gold, silver, or petroleum.
"The sudden gold strike in the river valley attracted thousands of prospectors to the region."
• verb
To hit or collide with someone or something forcibly, either deliberately or accidentally.
"The falling branch struck the roof of the garage during the gale."
To refuse to work as a form of organized protest, typically in order to obtain better pay or working conditions.
"Union members threatened to strike if safety standards at the factory were not improved."
To occur suddenly to someone's mind, or to create a particular mental impression.
"His explanation for the delay struck the committee as highly plausible."
To reach, achieve, or conclude an agreement, bargain, or balance after deliberation.
"The two software companies managed to strike a mutually beneficial partnership."
To indicate the time by sounding a chime or bell (of a clock), or to ignite a match by friction.
"Everyone gathered in the town square just as the clock tower began to strike midnight."
Word Nuance & Usage
The standard past participle is 'struck', whereas 'stricken' is now primarily used as an adjective meaning afflicted or overwhelmed (as in 'grief-stricken' or 'poverty-stricken') or in the legal phrase 'stricken from the record'.
• Rhymes for strike
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'strican', meaning to stroke, rub lightly, or move onward, derived from the Proto-Germanic root '*strikanan' (to stroke or graze).