streak

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈstriːk/ 🇺🇸 /ˈstriːk/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A long, thin line or mark of a different substance or color from its surroundings.; A continuous series of successes or failures, especially in sports or gambling.; An element of a specified kind in a person's character.; A flash of light, especially lightning, seen as a line across the sky.; The color of a mineral when it is rubbed on an unglazed porcelain plate (streak plate), used in mineral identification.; A thin layer of bacteria or other microorganisms spread across the surface of a culture medium for isolation.; A highlight or lighter section in hair, often artificially produced.; An act of running naked through a public place as a prank or dare.
  2. verb
    To move at high speed; to rush or dart.; To mark or be marked with streaks or lines of a different color.; To run naked through a public place as a prank or dare.; To add highlights or lighter sections to hair.; To spread microorganisms in a streak pattern on a culture medium for isolation.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: streaks 3rd sing.: streaks Past: streaked Past part.: streaked Pres part.: streaking

Collocations

a winning streaka losing streaka streak of lucka streak of lightninglike a streaka streak of geniuson a streak

Derivatives

streakystreakerstreaked

Synonyms

stripelinerunspellstringtracestrain

Commonly confused

stripe
EN: 'Stripe' refers to a deliberate, regular band of color or pattern; 'streak' is typically an irregular, often accidental mark or line.
stream
EN: 'Stream' is a flow of water or data; 'streak' is a mark, line, or continuous run of events.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'streak' (with 'ea') with 'strike' (with 'i') or 'stream' (with 'ea' but ending in '-m'). The 'ea' in 'streak' produces a long /iː/ sound.

💬 Examples

  1. There was a streak of blood on his forehead.

  2. The team is on a ten-game winning streak.

  3. She has a stubborn streak that makes her refuse to compromise.

  4. A streak of lightning illuminated the dark clouds.

  5. Hematite has a reddish-brown streak despite its metallic gray appearance.

  6. The technician performed a streak on the agar plate to isolate individual colonies.

  7. She added blonde streaks to her dark hair for the summer.

  8. The student was arrested after doing a streak across the football field during halftime.

  9. The cat streaked across the yard when it saw the dog.

  10. Tears streaked her face as she watched the sad movie.