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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
strike verb (struck , striking) 1 to hit someone or something; to give a blow to them. 2 to come or bring into heavy contact with someone or something The car struck the lamppost. 3 to make a particular impression on someone They struck me as a strange couple. 4 to come into one's mind; to occur to someone It struck me as strange. 5 to cause (a match) to ignite through friction. 6 tr & intr said of a clock: to indicate the time, eg on the hour, half-hour, quarter-hour, with chimes, etc The town hall clock strikes the hour and half-hour. 7 intrans to happen suddenly Disaster struck. 8 intrans to make a sudden attack. 9 to afflict someone suddenly; to cause to become by affliction The news struck him dumb. 10 to introduce or inject suddenly The thought struck terror into them. 11 to arrive at or settle (eg a bargain or a balance) struck a fair deal for the car. 12 to find a source of (eg oil, gold, etc). 13 intrans to stop working as part of a collective protest against an employer, working conditions, pay, etc The factory has been striking for two weeks. 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). 18 tr & intr to draw (a line) in order to cross something out. noun 1 an act of hitting or dealing a blow. 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. 3 a prolonged refusal to engage in a regular or expected activity, such as eating, in order to make some kind of a protest went on hunger strike. 4 a military attack, especially one that is carried out by aircraft a pre-emptive strike on the ground troops. 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 take strike. 8 baseball a ball that the batter has taken a swing at but missed. on strike taking part in an industrial or other strike. strike it lucky or rich to enjoy luck or become rich suddenly and unexpectedly.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon strican.
strike at someone or something to attempt to hit them or it. strike back to retaliate. strike someone down 1 to afflict them with something He was struck down with MS in his twenties. 2 to cause to die. strike someone off 1 to remove (the name of a member of a professional body, eg a lawyer, doctor, accountant, etc) from the appropriate register, especially because of misconduct 2 to remove (someone's name from an official list, register, etc). See also be struck off at struck. strike something off 1 to cancel (especially with a stroke of a pen) I like to strike off the crossword clues as I get the answers. 2 to remove it (especially by using a sword, axe, etc) struck off his head. strike on something to come upon or arrive at something (especially an idea) by chance. strike out 1 to attempt to injure, damage, etc, eg with a punch, abuse, criticism, etc) The cat struck out with her claws struck out at the press for their insensitivity. 2 baseball said of a batter: to be dismissed by means of three strikes (see strike noun 8). strike someone out baseball to dismiss (a batter) by means of three strikes. strike something out to draw a line through (eg a name, etc) in order to to show a cancellation, removal, deletion, etc. strike out for something to head towards it, especially in a determined way. strike up said of a band, etc: to begin to play. strike something up to start (eg a conversation, friendship, etc). |
strike verb (struck , striking) 1 to hit someone or something; to give a blow to them. 2 to come or bring into heavy contact with someone or something The car struck the lamppost. 3 to make a particular impression on someone They struck me as a strange couple. 4 to come into one's mind; to occur to someone It struck me as strange. 5 to cause (a match) to ignite through friction. 6 tr & intr said of a clock: to indicate the time, eg on the hour, half-hour, quarter-hour, with chimes, etc The town hall clock strikes the hour and half-hour. 7 intrans to happen suddenly Disaster struck. 8 intrans to make a sudden attack. 9 to afflict someone suddenly; to cause to become by affliction The news struck him dumb. 10 to introduce or inject suddenly The thought struck terror into them. 11 to arrive at or settle (eg a bargain or a balance) struck a fair deal for the car. 12 to find a source of (eg oil, gold, etc). 13 intrans to stop working as part of a collective protest against an employer, working conditions, pay, etc The factory has been striking for two weeks. 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). 18 tr & intr to draw (a line) in order to cross something out. noun 1 an act of hitting or dealing a blow. 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. 3 a prolonged refusal to engage in a regular or expected activity, such as eating, in order to make some kind of a protest went on hunger strike. 4 a military attack, especially one that is carried out by aircraft a pre-emptive strike on the ground troops. 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 take strike. 8 baseball a ball that the batter has taken a swing at but missed. on strike taking part in an industrial or other strike. strike it lucky or rich to enjoy luck or become rich suddenly and unexpectedly.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon strican.
strike at someone or something to attempt to hit them or it. strike back to retaliate. strike someone down 1 to afflict them with something He was struck down with MS in his twenties. 2 to cause to die. strike someone off 1 to remove (the name of a member of a professional body, eg a lawyer, doctor, accountant, etc) from the appropriate register, especially because of misconduct 2 to remove (someone's name from an official list, register, etc). See also be struck off at struck. strike something off 1 to cancel (especially with a stroke of a pen) I like to strike off the crossword clues as I get the answers. 2 to remove it (especially by using a sword, axe, etc) struck off his head. strike on something to come upon or arrive at something (especially an idea) by chance. strike out 1 to attempt to injure, damage, etc, eg with a punch, abuse, criticism, etc) The cat struck out with her claws struck out at the press for their insensitivity. 2 baseball said of a batter: to be dismissed by means of three strikes (see strike noun 8). strike someone out baseball to dismiss (a batter) by means of three strikes. strike something out to draw a line through (eg a name, etc) in order to to show a cancellation, removal, deletion, etc. strike out for something to head towards it, especially in a determined way. strike up said of a band, etc: to begin to play. strike something up to start (eg a conversation, friendship, etc). |
strike verb (struck , striking) 1 to hit someone or something; to give a blow to them. 2 to come or bring into heavy contact with someone or something The car struck the lamppost. 3 to make a particular impression on someone They struck me as a strange couple. 4 to come into one's mind; to occur to someone It struck me as strange. 5 to cause (a match) to ignite through friction. 6 tr & intr said of a clock: to indicate the time, eg on the hour, half-hour, quarter-hour, with chimes, etc The town hall clock strikes the hour and half-hour. 7 intrans to happen suddenly Disaster struck. 8 intrans to make a sudden attack. 9 to afflict someone suddenly; to cause to become by affliction The news struck him dumb. 10 to introduce or inject suddenly The thought struck terror into them. 11 to arrive at or settle (eg a bargain or a balance) struck a fair deal for the car. 12 to find a source of (eg oil, gold, etc). 13 intrans to stop working as part of a collective protest against an employer, working conditions, pay, etc The factory has been striking for two weeks. 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). 18 tr & intr to draw (a line) in order to cross something out. noun 1 an act of hitting or dealing a blow. 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. 3 a prolonged refusal to engage in a regular or expected activity, such as eating, in order to make some kind of a protest went on hunger strike. 4 a military attack, especially one that is carried out by aircraft a pre-emptive strike on the ground troops. 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 take strike. 8 baseball a ball that the batter has taken a swing at but missed. on strike taking part in an industrial or other strike. strike it lucky or rich to enjoy luck or become rich suddenly and unexpectedly.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon strican.
strike at someone or something to attempt to hit them or it. strike back to retaliate. strike someone down 1 to afflict them with something He was struck down with MS in his twenties. 2 to cause to die. strike someone off 1 to remove (the name of a member of a professional body, eg a lawyer, doctor, accountant, etc) from the appropriate register, especially because of misconduct 2 to remove (someone's name from an official list, register, etc). See also be struck off at struck. strike something off 1 to cancel (especially with a stroke of a pen) I like to strike off the crossword clues as I get the answers. 2 to remove it (especially by using a sword, axe, etc) struck off his head. strike on something to come upon or arrive at something (especially an idea) by chance. strike out 1 to attempt to injure, damage, etc, eg with a punch, abuse, criticism, etc) The cat struck out with her claws struck out at the press for their insensitivity. 2 baseball said of a batter: to be dismissed by means of three strikes (see strike noun 8). strike someone out baseball to dismiss (a batter) by means of three strikes. strike something out to draw a line through (eg a name, etc) in order to to show a cancellation, removal, deletion, etc. strike out for something to head towards it, especially in a determined way. strike up said of a band, etc: to begin to play. strike something up to start (eg a conversation, friendship, etc). |
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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
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