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definitions

stripe

1
[strahyp]
See more synonyms for stripe on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.
  2. a fabric or material containing such a band or bands.
  3. a strip of braid, tape, or the like.
  4. stripes,
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
  5. a strip, or long, narrow piece of anything: a stripe of beach.
  6. a streak or layer of a different nature within a substance.
  7. style, variety, sort, or kind: a man of quite a different stripe.
  8. 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), striped, strip·ing.
  1. to mark or furnish with a stripe or stripes.

Origin of stripe

1
1620–30; < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German strīpe; see strip2, stripe2
Related formsstripe·less, adjective

stripe

2
[strahyp]
noun
  1. a stroke with a whip, rod, etc., as in punishment.

Origin of stripe

2
1400–50; late Middle English; obscurely akin to stripe1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for stripe

ribbon, streak, division, layer, rule, decoration, band, stroke, fillet, bar, border, striation

Examples from the Web for stripe

Contemporary Examples of stripe

Historical Examples of stripe

  • You will now find the wool has descended to the wide part of the stripe.

  • The third stripe is the same, but, of course, the colors are different.

  • Stripe: a longitudinal streak of color different from the ground.

  • His shirt is blue with a stripe of sunrise pink, and the collar to match.

    Pipefuls

    Christopher Morley

  • There was a suit of pyjamas of Hamilton's which had a stripe very near, but not quite.

    Bones

    Edgar Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for stripe

stripe

1
noun
  1. a relatively long band of distinctive colour or texture that differs from the surrounding material or background
  2. a fabric having such bands
  3. a strip, band, or chevron of fabric worn on a military uniform, etc, esp one that indicates rank
  4. mainly US and Canadian kind; sort; typea man of a certain stripe
verb
  1. (tr) to mark with a stripe or stripes

Word Origin for stripe

C17: probably from Middle Dutch strīpe; related to Middle High German strīfe, of obscure origin

stripe

2
noun
  1. a stroke from a whip, rod, cane, etc

Word Origin for stripe

C15: perhaps from Middle Low German strippe; related to stripe 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for stripe
n.1

"a line or band in cloth," 1620s (but probably much older), from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German stripe "stripe, streak," from Proto-Germanic *stripanan (cf. Danish stribe "a striped fabric," German Streifen "stripe"), cognate with Old Irish sriab "stripe," from PIE root *streig- (see strigil). Of soldiers' chevrons, badges, etc., attested from 1827.

n.2

"a stroke or lash," mid-15c., probably a special use of stripe (n.1), from the marks left by a lash. Cf. also Dutch strippen "to whip," West Frisian strips, apparently cognate but not attested as early as the English word.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper