strike

verb (HIT)

/straɪk/ (struck, struck)

Definition

B1 [I or T] to hit or attack someone or something forcefully or violently: Her car went out of control and struck an oncoming vehicle. The police have warned the public that the killer could strike again. The autopsy revealed that his murderer had struck him on the head with an iron bar. Have you ever been struck by lightning? My golf was terrible today - I just didn't strike the ball well.Hitting and beatingPunishing by causing pain › [I or T] When a clock strikes, its bells ring to show what the time is: The clock was striking ten as we went into the church.Watches and clocks › [I] When a particular time strikes, a clock's bells ring to tell people what time it is: Midnight had just struck when I went upstairs to bed.Watches and clocks C2 [T] If you strike a match, you cause it to burn by rubbing it against a hard rough surface: She struck a match and lit another cigarette. He lent down and struck a match on the sole of his boot.Starting fires

(Definition of strike verb (HIT) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)