Definition of streak noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

streak

noun

/striːk/

a long, thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on
- There was a streak of blood on his face.
- She had a few streaks of grey in her black hair.
- The sooty rain left dirty streaks on the window.
- streaks of sunlight
Synonyms mark
markstain ▪ fingerprint ▪ streak ▪ speck ▪ blot ▪ smear ▪ spotThese are all words for a small area of dirt or another substance on a surface.
mark a small area of dirt, a spot or a cut on a surface that makes it look less good:
The kids left dirty marks all over the kitchen floor.
stain a dirty mark on something that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a liquid:
blood stains
fingerprint a mark on a surface made by the pattern of lines on the end of a person’s finger, often used by the police to identify criminals:
Her fingerprints were all over the gun.
streak a long, thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on:
She had streaks of grey in her hair.
speck a very small mark, spot or piece of a substance on something:
There isn’t a speck of dust anywhere in the house.
blot a spot or dirty mark left on something by a substance such as ink or paint being dropped on a surfacesmear a mark made by something such as oil or paint being spread or rubbed on a surfacespot a small dirty mark on something:
There were grease spots all over the walls.
Patterns
- a streak/speck/blot/smear/spot of something
- a greasy mark/stain/smear
- an ink mark/stain/blot/spot
- a grease mark/stain/spot
- to leave a mark/stain/fingerprint/streak/speck/blot/smear
Wordfinder
Extra Examples
- The last streaks of light faded from the sky.
- There were dark streaks down her cheeks where she had been crying.
Topics Appearancec1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- dark
- faint
- pale
- …
preposition
- streak of
phrases
- a streak of lightning
- a streak of red, white, etc.
See full entry
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a part of a person’s character, especially an unpleasant part
- a ruthless/vicious/mean streak
- a streak of cruelty
Extra Examples
- Holidays in the Australian outback are for those with an adventurous streak.
- Most of the players have a strong competitive streak.
- She suddenly revealed a mean streak in her character.
- There was a streak of eccentricity in the family.
- trips for those with an adventurous streak
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- strong
- hidden
- cruel
- …
verb + streak
- have
- reveal
- show
- …
preposition
- with a streak
- streak of
See full entry
a series of successes or failures, especially in a sport or in gambling
- a streak of good luck
- to hit (= have) a winning streak
- to be on a winning/losing streak
- a lucky/unlucky streak
Wordfinder
Extra Examples
- The Yankees continued their six-game winning streak.
- The team has been on a winning streak since it won against Lazio.
Topics Successc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- hot
- lucky
- unbeaten
- …
verb + streak
- be on
- go on
- continue
- …
See full entry

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

See streak in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee streak in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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