striker

American  

[strahy-ker] / ˈstraɪ kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that strikes.

2. a worker who is on strike.

3. manhelper.

4. the clapper in a clock that strikes the hours or rings an alarm.

5. U.S. Army. a private who acts as a voluntary paid servant to a commissioned officer.

6. U.S. Navy. an enlisted person in training for a specific technical rating.

7. a person who strikes fish, whales, etc., with a spear or harpoon.

8. Whaling. a harpoon.

9. Soccer. one of the attacking forwards.

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striker British  

/ ˈstraɪkə /

noun

1. a person who is on strike

2. the hammer in a timepiece that rings a bell or alarm

3. any part in a mechanical device that strikes something, such as the firing pin of a gun

4. informal soccer an attacking player, esp one who generally positions himself near his opponent's goal in the hope of scoring

5. cricket the batsman who is about to play a ball

6. 1. a person who harpoons whales or fish

   2. the harpoon itself

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Other Word Forms

• antistriker
  noun
• nonstriker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of striker

1350–1400; 1840–50 striker for def. 2; Middle English; see strike, -er ¹

Example Sentences

The two-cap striker - who last played for Scotland in 2022 - has the play-off final to look forward to where he will come up against a fellow World Cup wannabe in Oli McBurnie.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Gabriel had pushed his forehead into striker Erling Haaland during City's 2-1 win, but was only shown a yellow card.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Perhaps the best known is 33-year-old former Porto striker Mehdi Taremi, now with Olympiacos.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane and retired former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray are joint 10th with £110 million each.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

I jump and drop the flint and striker to the ground, barely keeping hold of the tinder.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

• marcher
• radical
• rioter