streak

 
Pronunciation: /striːk/

noun

  • 1a long, thin line or mark of a different substance or colour from its surroundings: a streak of oil
  • Microbiology a narrow line of bacteria smeared on the surface of a solid culture medium.
  • 2an element of a specified kind in someone’s character: there’s a streak of insanity in the family Lucy had a ruthless streak
  • [usually with adjective] a continuous period of specified success or luck: the theatre is on a winning streak
  • 3 informal an act of running naked in a public place so as to shock or amuse others: a streak for charity

verb

  • 1 [with object] cover (a surface) with streaks: tears streaking her face, Cynthia looked up his beard was streaked with grey
  • dye (hair) with long, thin lines of a different colour to that of one’s natural hair colour: [with object and complement]: hair that was streaked blonde
  • Microbiology smear (a needle, swab, etc.) over the surface of a solid culture medium to initiate a culture: swabs were streaked directly on blood agar plates
  • 2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] move very fast in a specified direction: the cat streaked across the street
  • 3 [no object] informal run naked in a public place so as to shock or amuse others: the singer admitted to streaking in his home town in the seventies

Phrases

like a streak

informal very fast: he is off like a streak

streak of lightning

a flash of lightning: a streak of lightning split the sky

Derivatives

streaker

noun
streak (sense 3 of the verb).

Origin:

Old English strica, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch streek and German Strich, also to strike. The sense 'run naked' was originally US slang