streak

Forms

1.An irregular line left from smearing or motion.
- The picture I took out the car window had streaks.
- 'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard, peonies and such, in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.
2.A continuous series of like events.
- I hope I can keep up this streak of accomplishments.
- I was on a winning streak until the fourth game, when I was dealt terrible cards.
- Out went conversation in favour of fast and more immediate pleasures. We migrated on to texts, voice notes, emojis and the Snapchat “streak”.
3.A consistent facet of somebody's personality.
- But speaking of cats, there's a good deal to be learned about women from them, 'Orace. […] I've known very few who wouldn't admit, between ourselves, that most others had a fair streak of the feline.
4.The color of the powder of a mineral. So called, because a simple field test for a mineral is to streak it against unglazed white porcelain.

1.To run quickly.
- "As it was I came a hell of a crack against a Dam' rustic arbour in the garden. Dam' near stunned me. But I never stopped a second. Up and over the back fence and streaked for the common."
2.To run naked in public.
- It was a pleasant game until some guy went streaking across the field.
- The fad began with a lone male running naked across the Florida State University campus several weeks ago. Students on other campuses began streaking in pairs, then groups, and were joined by some coeds.
3.To move very swiftly.
- But when we streaked through Doncaster at all but a mile-a-minute, with a miraculously clear road, in no more than 37 min. 18 sec. from the York start, I began to sit up and take notice.
4.To have or obtain streaks.
- If you clean a window in direct sunlight, it will streak.

Rare· #4980

From Middle English streke, from Old English strica, from Proto-Germanic *strikiz, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“line”).