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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

streak en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle English streke, from Old English strica, from Proto-Germanic *strikiz, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“line”). Related to North Frisian strijck, Old Saxon striki, Middle Low German streke, Low German streek, Danish streg, Swedish streck, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk strek, Icelandic stryk, strykr, Dutch streek, Afrikaans streek, Old High German strih, German Strich, Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (striks).

Meanings

  1. An irregular line, as is left from smearing or motion.
    • 'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
    • The picture I took out the car window had streaks.
  2. An irregular line, as is left from smearing or motion. ▸ A band, line or stripe.
    • A streak of light on the horizon.
  3. A continuous series of like events.
    • I was on a winning streak until the fourth game, when I was dealt terrible cards.
    • I hope I can keep up this streak of accomplishments.
  4. (Internet, qualifier:social media) A continuous series of like events. ▸ A measure of activity that tracks how many consecutive days a certain interaction with another user or a service has taken place, a form of gamification to drive user engagement.
    • Out went conversation in favour of fast and more immediate pleasures. We migrated on to texts, voice notes, emojis and the Snapchat “streak”. 2025 May 31, Jo Ellison, “The beguiling charm of a bedtime phone call”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 20:
  5. (figuratively) A continuous series of like events. ▸ A consistent facet of somebody's personality.
    • a mean streak
    • But speaking of cats, there's a good deal to be learned about women from them, 'Orace. […] I've known very few who wouldn't admit, between ourselves, that most others had a fair streak of the feline. 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
    • a stubborn streak
  6. A continuous series of like events. ▸ A tendency or characteristic, but not a dominant or pervasive one.
    • Coinbase’s government work has proved highly controversial to many crypto fans, owing perhaps to the long-running libertarian streak in that community. 2022 June 29, Sam Biddle, “Cryptocurrency Titan Coinbase Providing "Geo Tracking Data" to ICE”, in The Intercept:
    • She's a quiet, bookish person, but she has a rebellious streak.
    • Rashford showed the fearless streak Southgate so admires with his constant willingness to run at Brazil's defence with pace, even demonstrating on occasion footwork that would not have been out of place from members of England's illustrious opposition. 2017 November 14, Phil McNulty, “England 0-0 Brazil”, in BBC News:
  7. The color of the powder of a mineral, so called, because a simple field test for a mineral is to streak it against unglazed white porcelain.
  8. A moth of the family Geometridae, Chesias legatella.
    • Streak (moth) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
  9. A strake.
  10. A rung or round of a ladder.
  11. The act of streaking, or running naked through a public area.
  12. (collective) A group of tigers.
    • Busch Gardens Tampa Bay recently welcomed a new addition to its streak of tigers 2023 January 27, Chelsea Tatham Zukowski, “Busch Gardens Tampa Bay welcomes new Sumatran tiger”, in Attractions Magazine:
    • The detection of Feline Panleukopenia (FLP) infection in a streak of tigers rescued in Karnataka has raised concerns among forest officials and veterinarians across the country. 2025 December 27, Bosky Khanna, “FLP infection in rescued tigress, cubs raises concern in Karnataka”, in New Indian Express:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
streaks Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

lucky streak · bluestreak · primitive streak · streakless · eyestreak · long streak of misery · scorestreak · paystreak · interstreak · streak of good luck · Mallen streak · streakline · restreak · visual streak · prestreak · sapstreak · streak camera · streak-backed antshrike · streakwise · fall streak · redstreak · hairstreak · streak plate · streaklike · dawnstreak · mean streak · streak it · yellow streak · killstreak · hot streak · fallstreak · compulsive streak · outstreak · streaken · bestreak · streak of piss · blue streak · learning streak · streaky

Synonyms

string · chain · chain · string · string · chain · string · chain · ambush

Translations (72)

es raya (irregular line) · gd srian (irregular line) · bg рязка (irregular line) · cmn 气质 (non-dominant tendency or characteristic) · gd stìom (non-dominant tendency or characteristic) · hu beütés (non-dominant tendency or characteristic) · cmn 连续记录 (continuous series of events) · hu szürkés zanótaraszoló (species of moth) · es sarta (continuous series of events) · de Später Ginsterspanner (species of moth) · cmn 连胜 (continuous series of events) · gl trazo (irregular line) · fi piirre (non-dominant tendency or characteristic) · hu sorozat (continuous series of events) · gd stìom (continuous series of events) · vi vệt (irregular line) · ga síog (irregular line) · it striscia (irregular line) · nl herfstbremspanner (species of moth) · it striatura (irregular line) · es trazo (irregular line) · ru полоса́ (irregular line) · hu széria (continuous series of events) · gl risco (irregular line) · hu sáv (irregular line) · fi raita (irregular line) · bg последователност (continuous series of events) · pt risco (irregular line) · ru полоса́ (continuous series of events) · es geómetra (species of moth) · io strio (irregular line) · es ristra (continuous series of events) · ru черта (non-dominant tendency or characteristic) · cmn 痕迹 (irregular line) · cmn 迹象 (non-dominant tendency or characteristic) · bg драскотина (irregular line) · hu csík (irregular line) · fi sarja (continuous series of events) · gl raia (irregular line) · es serie (continuous series of events) · pt série (continuous series of events) · ba һыҙат (continuous series of events) · fr raie (irregular line) · fi viiru (color of mineral powder) · fi ketju (continuous series of events) · nl streep (irregular line) · sv rad (continuous series of events) · mi tarapī (irregular line) · gl secuencia (continuous series of events) · fi putki (continuous series of events) · ru поло́ска (irregular line) · es trazo (color of mineral powder) · es toque (non-dominant tendency or characteristic) · de Schliere (irregular line) · gl serie (continuous series of events) · sv ränder (irregular line) · pl passa (continuous series of events) · oc raia (irregular line) · ru череда (continuous series of events) · es secuencia (continuous series of events) · es racha (continuous series of events) · gd stìom (irregular line) · fi jänönvihmamittari (species of moth) · eo ŝmiraĵo (irregular line) · oc estralh (irregular line) · fi viiru (irregular line) · fi juova (irregular line) · hu erezet (irregular line) · ja 条痕 (irregular line) · bg серия (continuous series of events) · oc estria (irregular line) · fr chésias du genêt (species of moth)

streak en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle English streke, from Old English strica, from Proto-Germanic *strikiz, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“line”). Related to North Frisian strijck, Old Saxon striki, Middle Low German streke, Low German streek, Danish streg, Swedish streck, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk strek, Icelandic stryk, strykr, Dutch streek, Afrikaans streek, Old High German strih, German Strich, Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (striks).

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To have or obtain streaks.
    • If you clean a window in direct sunlight, it will streak.
  2. (intransitive) To run quickly.
    • "As it was I came a hell of a crack against a Dam' rustic arbour in the garden. Dam' near stunned me. But I never stopped a second. Up and over the back fence and streaked for the common." 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 82:
  3. (intransitive) To run naked in public.
    • The fad began with a lone male running naked across the Florida State University campus several weeks ago. Students on other campuses began streaking in pairs, then groups, and were joined by some coeds. 1974 March 4, Hendrick O'Neil, “Streaking runs its course”, in UPIs 20th Century Top Stories (wire feed):
    • It was a pleasant game until some guy went streaking across the field.
  4. (intransitive) To move very swiftly.
    • But when we streaked through Doncaster at all but a mile-a-minute, with a miraculously clear road, in no more than 37 min. 18 sec. from the York start, I began to sit up and take notice. 1949 November and December, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 365:
  5. (transitive) To create streaks upon.
    • Though his entire back down to his side fins is of a deep sable, yet a boundary line, distinct as the mark in a ship’s hull, called the “bright waist,” that line streaks him from stem to stern, with two separate colours, black above and white below. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 32, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 157:
    • Wispy high clouds also streak Neptune's upper atmosphere. 1990 August, Rick Gore, “Neptune: Voyager's Last Picture Show”, in National Geographic, volume 178, number 2, page 35:
    • You will streak a window by cleaning it in direct sunlight.
  6. (Scotland, UK, obsolete) To stretch; to extend; hence, to lay out, as a dead body.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
streaked Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
streaked Tense=Past lexicographic
streaking Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
streaks Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Coordinates

flash

Deriveds

restreak · outstreak

Relateds

losing streak · winning streak · streaker · talk a blue streak

Synonyms

vein

Translations (16)

ga síog (to have or obtain streaks) · de schlieren (to have or obtain streaks) · de flitzen (to run naked in public) · es rayarse (to have or obtain streaks) · fi tulla juovikkaaksi (to have or obtain streaks) · sv streaka (to run naked in public) · es correr desnudo (to run naked in public) · fi tehdä juovikkaaksi (to create streaks) · es rayar (to create streaks) · fi juovittaa (to create streaks) · ga síog (to create streaks) · cmn 裸奔 (to run naked in public) · sv springa naken (to run naked in public) · fi viuhahtaa (to move very swiftly) · fi viuhahtaa (to run naked in public) · bg нашарвам се (to have or obtain streaks)