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,
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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)
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
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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:
In Los Angeles, home base for cinephiles of every stripe, scoring one of these coveted opening weekend tickets was particularly challenging.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Over time, his revolutionary stripe of paint would reach billions of people and guide drivers across the planet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 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
Males display a bold red and white stripe along their sides and have amber eyes, while females feature a simpler yellow stripe and orange-yellow eyes.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 22, 2026
He turned the colonel’s chin with one finger, then delicately shaved away a stripe of soap with a razor.
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Sunday's World Cup final will be his 34th appearance in the competition, but will it be the last we see of Messi in the famous blue and white stripes?
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
In Santa Monica, parade-goers lined Main Street decked out in shiny red, white and blue leis and tank tops bearing stars and stripes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
The floor was so grubby that the thought of sitting anywhere on it was nauseating — and regardless, the lanes were now too dark for reading, lit primarily by bright neon stripes and squiggles.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
Three hours before the match, AFP spoke with several protesters who held tickets and wore T-shirts printed with that pre-revolution flag -- horizontal green, white and red stripes overlaid with a sun and a lion.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Enormous purple feather earrings dangle from her earlobes, and there are thick stripes of eyeliner outlining her big brown eyes.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
The engineer—who looks like he stepped out of central casting with his dimpled grin, 6’2” frame, striped shirt and Dickies denim overalls—has been known to shed a tear of his own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
On May 10 in a Damascus courtroom, Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin, sat shackled in a metal cage dressed in a drab striped prison uniform.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Among the pieces available were a vintage chest, tables, and chair, antique mirrors, hand-knotted rugs, a striped fabric tuxedo sofa, upholstered wing back chairs, “lots of fun lamps and chandeliers,” and several leather chairs.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
That was “an immersive environment, using specialized murals and striped tents on the walls,” Stokes wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
Beware of strange magic under the great striped tent of a circus.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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 lived in the Mission District in San Francisco, and her father lost his job hand-painting the striping on Cadillac cars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 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.
