streak

[streek]

noun

1. a long, narrow mark, smear, band of color, or the like.

   streaks of mud.

2. a portion or layer of something, distinguished by color or nature from the rest; a vein or stratum.

   streaks of fat in meat.

3. a vein, strain, or admixture of anything.

   a streak of humor.

   Synonyms: trace, element, touch, cast

4. Informal.

   1. a spell or run.

      a streak of good luck.

   2. an uninterrupted series.

      The team had a losing streak of ten games.

5. a flash leaving a visible line or aftereffect, as of lightning; bolt.

6. Mineralogy.,  the line of powder obtained by scratching a mineral or rubbing it upon a hard, rough white surface, often differing in color from the mineral in the mass, and serving as an important distinguishing character.

7. Plant Pathology.

   1. an elongated, narrow, superficial lesion on stems or leaf veins, becoming brown and necrotic.

   2. any disease characterized by such lesions.

verb (used with object)

1. to mark with a streak or streaks; form streaks on.

   sunlight streaking the water with gold; frost streaking the windows.

2. to lighten or color (strands of hair) for contrastive effect.

3. to dispose, arrange, smear, spread, etc., in the form of a streak or streaks.

   to streak cold germs on a slide for microscopic study.

verb (used without object)

1. to become streaked.

2. to run, go, or work rapidly.

3. to flash, as lightning.

4. to make a sudden dash in public while naked, especially as a prank.

streak

¹

/ striːk /

noun

1. a long thin mark, stripe, or trace of some contrasting colour

2. 1. (of lightning) a sudden flash

   2. ( as modifier )

      streak lightning

3. an element or trace, as of some quality or characteristic

4. a strip, vein, or layer

   fatty streaks

5. a short stretch or run, esp of good or bad luck

6. mineralogy the powdery mark made by a mineral when rubbed on a hard or rough surface: its colour is an important distinguishing characteristic

7. bacteriol the inoculation of a solid culture medium by drawing a wire contaminated with the microorganisms across it

8. informal,  an act or the practice of running naked through a public place

verb

1. (tr) to mark or daub with a streak or streaks

2. (intr) to form streaks or become streaked

3. (intr) to move rapidly in a straight line

4. informal,  (intr) to run naked through a crowd of people in a public place in order to shock or amuse them

streak

²

/ striːk /

noun

1. a variant spelling of strake

streak

1. The characteristic color of a mineral after it has been ground into a powder. Because the streak of a mineral is not always the same as its natural color, it is a useful tool in mineral identification.

2. A bacterial culture inoculated by drawing a bacteria-laden needle across the surface of a solid culture medium.

3. Also called streak plate

4. Any of various viral diseases of plants characterized by the appearance of discolored stripes on the leaves or stems.

Other Word Forms

• streakedly adverb
• streakedness noun
• streaker noun
• streaklike adjective
• interstreak verb (used with object)
• unstreaked adjective
• streaked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of streak¹

First recorded before 1000; (for the noun) Middle English streke, akin to strike, Old English strica “stroke, line, mark”; cognate with German Strich, Gothic striks “stroke”; akin to Latin strigil strigil; (for the verb) late Middle English streken “to cross out,” derivative of the noun; strike, stroke ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of streak¹

Old English strica, related to Old Frisian strike, Old High German strih, Norwegian, Swedish strika

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. blue streak. blue streak.

see like greased lightning (a blue streak); talk someone's arm off (a blue streak); winning streak.

Example Sentences

After ending their embarrassing Test losing streak at 18 in Japan last summer, 12 is the magic number for Wales when they host the Brave Blossoms in Cardiff.

Read more on BBC

In terms of both their stock and financial performance, the two companies have diverged sharply: Walmart has been trekking consistently upward, while Target is coming off a multiyear losing streak.

Read more on Barron's

The top two streaks of 52 and 32 games in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were split by a single goalless draw away to Wales in March 1902.

Read more on BBC

Ohio State’s current 13-game winning streak overall is the longest in the nation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But in its most recent quarterly earnings, the company posted a 1% increase in global same-store sales, ending a two-year streak of declines.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• smear