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:
Newcastle's new home kit uses what's been described as a 'disrupted stripe'.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 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
While the now-replaced aircraft sported a blue and white exterior, the new aircraft has a navy blue underbelly, thin red stripe and blue upper body.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
For travelers of nearly every stripe, that means turning to agents—also called advisers—who can dig up hidden nooks while snagging free upgrades, arranging local guides and ensuring seamless transfers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
I put a blue-and-red-plaid tablecloth on the kitchen table and found white dishes with a blue stripe ’round the edges.
From "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles
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
Scattered along the walls of the studio were tidy heaps of scarves and mesh, rainbows of stripes, every shade of ballet pink, Uggs of every height.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Zolghadr, his immediate predecessor, and Ali Shamkhani, a long-serving secretary of the council who was killed Feb. 28, all earned their stripes in the group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The Blaugrana have adapted their traditional stripes for this year's home kit.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Red and blue stripes, and purple circles with numbers in them.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
The black-and-white striped mosquitoes were first detected in 2013 in California, likely arriving via human travel and cargo transport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Tidy general stores, ice cream parlors and a Main Street lined with striped awnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Manchester United's new home kit, with its flat-knit striped collar and cuffs, is inspired by Red Devils kits from the late seventies.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 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
When it closes behind you, the distance feels greater than a few steps divided by a striped curtain.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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
“Crews will use these partial closures to re-position the existing K-rail and place temporary striping to allow for construction activities in the southbound lane,” Caltrans officials said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2024
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.
