streak

¹streak

noun \ˈstrēk\

Definition of STREAK

1

: a line or mark of a different color or texture from the ground : stripe

2

a : the color of the fine powder of a mineral obtained by scratching or rubbing against a hard white surface and constituting an important distinguishing character b : inoculum implanted in a line on a solid medium c : any of numerous virus diseases of plants (as tobacco and maize) resembling mosaic but usually producing at least some linear markings

3

a : a narrow band of light b : a lightning bolt

4

a : a slight admixture : trace <had a mean streak in him> b : a brief run (as of luck) c : a consecutive series <was on a winning streak>

5

: a narrow layer (as of fat)

6

: an act or instance of streaking

Examples of STREAK

1. He left streaks where he wiped the glass.
2. The miners had streaks of coal dust on their faces.
3. a streak of 11 straight victories

Origin of STREAK

Middle English streke, from Old English strica; akin to Old High German strich line, Latin striga row — more at strike

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to STREAK

Synonyms: band, bar, ¹stripe

Related Words: blaze, crossbar, pinstripe

Near Antonyms: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (also lashins) [chiefly British], loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth; volume; bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus; chunk, hunk, lump, slab

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Mineralogy Terms

agate, host, inclusion, matrix

Rhymes with STREAK

beak, bleak, cheek, chic, cleek, clique, creak, creek, Creek, eke, flic, freak, geek, gleek, Greek, keek, leak, leek, meek, peak, peek, peke, pic, pique, reek, screak, seek, sheikh, shriek, sic, Sikh, sleek, sneak, speak, squeak, steek, streek, teak, tweak, weak, week