strike Meaning, definition in Cambridge English Dictionary
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Meaning of "strike" - English Dictionary

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uk   us   /straɪk/ (struck, struck)

strike verb (STOP WORK)

B2 [I] to refuse to continue working because of an argument with an employer about working conditions, pay levels, or job losses: Democratization has brought workers the right to strike and join a trade union. We're striking for a reduction in the working week and improved safety standards.
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strike verb (CAUSE SUFFERING)

C2 [I or T] to cause a person or place to suffer severely from the effects of something very unpleasant that happens suddenly: I've got a life insurance policy that will take care of my family if disaster strikes. The disease has struck the whole community, sometimes wiping out whole families. They predict that a large earthquake will strike the east coast before the end of the decade.
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strike verb (HIT)

B1 [I or T] to hit or attack someone or something forcefully or violently: Her car went out of control and struck an oncoming vehicle. The police have warned the public that the killer could strike again. The autopsy revealed that his murderer had struck him on the head with an iron bar. Have you ever been struck by lightning? My golf was terrible today - I just didn't strike the ball well.B1 [I or T] to kick a football, especially hard so that it travels a long distance : Beckham struck the ball with pace and precision. [I or T] When a clock strikes, its bells ring to show what the time is: The clock was striking ten as we went into the church. [I] When a particular time strikes, a clock's bells ring to tell people what time it is: Midnight had just struck when I went upstairs to bed.C2 [T] If you strike a match, you cause it to burn by rubbing it against a hard rough surface: She struck a match and lit another cigarette. He lent down and struck a match on the sole of his boot.

strike verb (REMOVE)

[T usually + adv/prep] formal to remove something officially from a document: Please strike my name from your mailing list immediately. Several unreliable dealers have been struck off our list of authorized suppliers.strike camp to take down your tents in preparation for leaving the place where you have been camping: We woke up late and it was ten o'clock before we struck camp.

strike verb (DISCOVER)

C2 [T] to discover a supply of oil, gas, or gold underground: The first person to strike oil in the US was Edwin Laurentine Drake.

strike verb (AGREE)

[T] to reach or make an agreement: Do you think the government should try to strike a deal with the terrorists?

strike verb (FEEL/THINK)

B2 [T] to cause someone to have a feeling or idea about something: Doesn't it strike you as rather odd that he never talks about his family? I was immediately struck by the similarities between the two murders. So how does my proposition strike you? (= What do you think of it?) [+ (that)] It strikes me (that) you'd be better off working for someone else.B2 [T] If a thought or idea strikes you, you suddenly think of it: [+ that] It's just struck me that I still owe you for the concert tickets. Sitting at her desk, she was struck by the thought that there had to be something more to life.

strike verb (MOVE BODY)

strike a pose/attitude to move your body into a particular position: She may be 67, but she can still strike a sexy pose. Bainbridge struck the pose of a fearless sea captain.

strike verb (MAKE COINS)

[T] to make a metal disc-shaped object such as a coin with a machine that quickly presses a picture into a piece of metal: When was the first pound coin struck? A special medal has been struck to celebrate the end of the war.

strikenoun [C]

uk   us   /straɪk/

strike noun [C] (STOP WORK)

B2 a period of time when workers refuse to work because of an argument with an employer about working conditions, pay levels, or job losses: After last year's long and bitter strike, few people want further industrial action. Most of the workers have ignored their union's call for strike action. Some miners were calling for a nationwide strike in support of 20 colleagues who'd been fired. They have voted to stage lightning (= sudden and short) strikes in pursuit of their demands. We've voted to stage a series of one-day strikes. A wave of strikes swept the country. The result of the strike ballot will be known tomorrow morning.on strike (UK also out on strike) taking part in a strike: The city's bus drivers have been on strike for three weeks.go on strike to start to strike: All 2,500 employees went on strike in protest at the decision to close the factory.
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strike noun [C] (HIT)

a sudden and powerful hit or attack: Lightning conductors protect buildings and tall structures from lightning strikes.
See also
a hard kick of a football, especially one that makes it travel a long distance: Garner scored with a 30 -yard strike in the 89th minute. a sudden, short military attack, especially one by aircraft or missiles: The United Nations has authorized the use of air strikes. The violence is unlikely to stop without military strikes against terrorist bases. Would you support a nuclear strike to bring an end to a war? We have no intention of launching a pre-emptive strike, but we will retaliate if provoked.
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strike noun [C] (DISCOVERY)

the discovery underground of a valuable substance: The population and settlement of Colorado expanded after the gold strike of 1858.

strike noun [C] (FAILURE)

(in baseball) a ball that has been thrown by the pitcher and not been hit successfully when it should have been: A batter is out after three strikes. US a failure, mistake, or disadvantage: California's "three strikes and you're out" bill means that from now on criminals found guilty of three crimes are jailed for life. One strike against him as a candidate is his perceived lack of charisma.
(Definition of strike from the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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