stripe
1 Americannoun
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a relatively long, narrow band of a different color, appearance, weave, material, or nature from the rest of a surface or thing.
the stripes of a zebra.
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a fabric or material containing such a band or bands.
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a strip of braid, tape, or the like.
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stripes,
-
a number or combination of such strips, worn on a military, naval, or other uniform as a badge of rank, service, good conduct, combat wounds, etc.
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Informal. status or recognition as a result of one's efforts, experience, or achievements.
She earned her stripes as a traveling sales representative and then moved up to district manager.
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a strip, or long, narrow piece of anything.
a stripe of beach.
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a streak or layer of a different nature within a substance.
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style, variety, sort, or kind.
a man of quite a different stripe.
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Also called magnetic stripe. Movies. a strip of iron oxide layer on the edge of a film that is used for recording and reproducing a magnetic sound track.
verb (used with object)
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stripes,
present (3rd person singular)
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striped,
past participle, past
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striping
present participle
noun
noun
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a relatively long band of distinctive colour or texture that differs from the surrounding material or background
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a fabric having such bands
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a strip, band, or chevron of fabric worn on a military uniform, etc, esp one that indicates rank
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kind; sort; type
a man of a certain stripe
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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stripesimple
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stripessimple
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have stripedperfect
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has stripedperfect
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am stripingprogressive
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are stripingprogressive
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is stripingprogressive
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have been stripingperfect progressive
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has been stripingperfect progressive
Past
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stripedsimple
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had stripedperfect
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was stripingprogressive
-
were stripingprogressive
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had been stripingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stripe1
First recorded in 1620–30; probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German strīpe; see also strip 2, stripe 2
Origin of stripe2
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English; obscurely akin to stripe 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When the EBT card is swiped, the fake reader scans and copies the information stored on the magnetic stripe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Next on the tour we are shown how his famous stripe designs are created by using thread.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
That businessman, Daniel Vorcaro, forged contacts with a sprawling network of politicians of every stripe, top judges and high-ranking officials before landing in jail for one of Brazil's biggest-ever financial scandals.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
Baseball might no longer be the national pastime, but it’s a part of American culture, with fans of every political stripe in every state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
I think of Johnny’s strong arms, the stripe of white sunblock on his nose, the time we were sick together from poison ivy and lay next to each other in the hammock, scratching.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
Thieves have exploited antiquated magnetic stripes on benefits cards to steal hundreds of millions of public dollars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The researchers then arranged horizontal and vertical stripes in systematic combinations.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
"So you can still see stripes on the site, if not the overall graffiti."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
First up was a short-sleeved button-up with blue stars and seashells, as well as red stripes made out of different fish.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
On the second level just above the park, the entire perimeter is lined with eight lanes separated by white stripes just like a running track.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
“A full head of hair. And maybe wearing this striped shirt that I got — if it still exists.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
At Mitsuwa Marketplace, the sprawling Japanese supermarket outside Chicago, Pastry House Hippo sells a frankfurter inside a beautiful yeasty shell, striped with ketchup.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
A quick scroll through TikTok reveals numerous accounts, many of them created in the past few weeks, sharing photos and videos of an elusive black-and-white feline wearing the famous, towering, crooked red-and-white striped hat.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
The photo shows a vacationing couple seated in striped deck chairs beneath a brightly coloured parasol on a beach.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
She was sitting there pretty as you please in a white blouse and striped skirt, sipping on lemonade and eating Mama’s benne seed cookies.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
We bought a bunch of road rental companies — all those orange barricades and cones and striping you see on the roads.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
If the lane striping isn’t perfect, though, the lane-keeping assist sometimes disables itself, so I don’t rely on it completely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
Knitters can opt for smaller patterns that require less yarn, or use up leftover yarn through designs that allow for different yarns to be cobbled together, such as striping.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2025
They would slow down repairs to traffic signals and maintenance of signage and lane striping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025
Karl stood with his face to the charred building, soot striping it like war paint.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
