Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - strike

 I. verb  (struck; struck; also stricken; striking)  Etymology: Middle English, from Old English strican to stroke, go; akin to Old High German strihhan to stroke, Latin stringere to touch lightly, striga, stria furrow  Date: before 12th century  intransitive verb  1. to take a course ; go struck off through the brush  2.  a. to aim and usually deliver a blow, stroke, or thrust (as with the hand, a weapon, or a tool)  b. to arrive with detrimental effect disaster struck  c. to attempt to undermine or harm something as if by a blow struck at…cherished notions — R. P. Warren  3. to come into contact forcefully two ships struck in mid channel  4. to delete something  5. to lower a flag usually in surrender  6.  a. to become indicated by a clock, bell, or chime the hour had just struck  b. to make known the time by sounding the clock struck as they entered  7. pierce, penetrate the wind seemed to ~ through our clothes  8.  a. to engage in battle  b. to make a military attack  9. to become ignited the match struck  10. to discover something struck on a new plan of attack  11.  a. to pull on a fishing rod in order to set the hook  b. of a fish to seize the bait  12. dart, shoot  13.  a. of a plant cutting to take root  b. of a seed germinate  14. to make an impression  15. to stop work in order to force an employer to comply with demands  16. to make a beginning the need to ~ vigorously for success  17. to thrust oneself forward he struck into the midst of the argument  18. to work diligently ; strive  transitive verb  1.  a. to ~ at ; hit  b. to drive or remove by or as if by a blow  c. to attack or seize with a sharp blow (as of fangs or claws) struck by a snake  d. inflict ~ a blow  e. to produce by or as if by a blow or stroke Moses struck water from the rock  f. to separate by a sharp blow ~ off flints  2.  a. to haul down ; lower ~ the sails  b. to dismantle and take away ~ the set  c. to ~ the tents of (a camp)  3. to afflict suddenly stricken by a heart attack  4.  a. to engage in (a battle) ; fight  b. to make a military attack on  5. delete, cancel ~ the last paragraph  6.  a. to penetrate painfully ; pierce  b. to cause to penetrate ~ the needle  c. to send down or out trees struck roots deep into the soil  7.  a. to level (as a measure of grain) by scraping off what is above the rim  b. to smooth or form (as a mold) with a tool  8. to indicate by sounding the clock struck one  9.  a.  (1) to bring into forceful contact struck his head on the doorjamb  (2) to shake (hands) in confirming an agreement  (3) to thrust suddenly  b. to come into contact or collision with the car struck the tree  c. of light to fall on  d. of a sound to become audible to  10.  a. to affect with a mental or emotional state or a strong emotion struck with horror at the sight  b. to affect a person with (a strong emotion) words that struck fear in the listeners  c. to cause to become by or as if by a sudden blow struck him dead  11.  a. to produce by stamping ~ a coin  b.  (1) to produce (as fire) by or as if by striking  (2) to cause to ignite by friction ~ a match  12. to make and ratify the terms of ~ a bargain  13.  a. to play or produce by stroking keys or strings struck a series of chords on the piano  b. to produce as if by playing an instrument his voice struck a note of concern  14.  a. to hook (a fish) by a sharp pull on the line  b. of a fish to snatch at (a bait)  15.  a. to occur to the answer struck me suddenly  b. to appear to especially as a revelation or as remarkable ; impress it struck the crowd as insensitive  16. bewitch  17. to arrive at by or as if by computation ~ a balance  18.  a. to come to ; attain  b. to come upon ; discover ~ gold  19. to engage in a ~ agAINST (AN EMPLOYER)  20. take on, assume ~ a pose  21.  a. to place (a plant cutting) in a medium for growth and rooting  b. to so propagate (a plant)  22. to make one's way along will ~ the southern coast  23. to cause (an arc) to form (as between electrodes of an arc lamp)  24. of an insect to oviposit on or in  Synonyms: see affect  II. noun  Date: 15th century  1. a tool for smoothing a surface (as of a mold)  2. an act or instance of striking  3.  a. a work stoppage by a body of workers to enforce compliance with demands made on an employer  b. a temporary stoppage of activities in protest against an act or condition  4. the direction of the line of intersection of a horizontal plane with an uptilted geological stratum  5.  a. a pull on a fishing rod to ~ a fish  b. a pull on a line by a fish in striking  6. a stroke of good luck; especially a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit  7.  a. a pitched ball that is in the ~ zone or is swung at and is not hit fair  b. a perfectly thrown ball or pass  8. disadvantage, handicap  9. an act or instance of knocking down all the bowling pins with the first bowl  10. establishment of roots and plant growth  11. cutaneous myiasis (as of sheep)  12.  a. a military attack; especially an air attack on a single objective  b. a group of airplanes taking part in such an attack