- 1a 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. streaks of grey in her hair dirty streaks on the window streaks of sunlight Synonymsmarkstain 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 or other substance on the surface of something, especially one that spoils its appearance: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 stainsfingerprint 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 Wordfinderpatternband, check, dot, fleck, pattern, speckle, splash, spot, streak, stripe Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedark, faint, pale, … prepositionstreak of phrasesa streak of lightning, a streak of red, white, etc. See full entry
- 2a part of a person’s character, especially an unpleasant part a ruthless/vicious/mean streak a streak of cruelty Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivestrong, hidden, cruel, … verb + streakhave, reveal, show, … prepositionwith a streak, streak of See full entry
- 3a 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 Wordfindergamblingbet, casino, chip, croupier, gambling, lottery, odds, roulette, stake, streak Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivehot, lucky, unbeaten, … verb + streakbe 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.Extra examples Holidays in the Australian outback are for those with an adventurous streak. Most of the players have a strong competitive streak. She had a few streaks of grey in her black hair. She suddenly revealed a mean streak in her character. The Yankees continued their six-game winning streak. The last streaks of light faded from the sky. The team has been on a winning streak since it won against Lazio. There was a streak of eccentricity in the family. There were dark streaks down her cheeks where she had been crying. trips for those with an adventurous streak She had streaks of grey in her hair. The sooty rain left dirty streaks on the window.
Check pronunciation: streak
