Forms: 5–6 streke, 6 streeke, 6–7 streake, 6– streak. [f. STREAK sb. Cf. STRAKE v.4]
† 1. trans. ? To cancel by drawing a line or lines across. Obs. (Cf. STRIKE v.)
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 479/2. Strekyn, or cancellyn a thynge wrytyn, cancello, obelo.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., I. v. (1597), 7 b. Streeke out the 48. and also the first figure of your Diuisor which is 5.
1595. T. Edwards, Cephalus & Procris (Roxb.), 28. Affection is the whole Parenthesis, That here I streake, which from our taske doth misse.
2. To mark with lines or stripes of a different color, substance or texture; to form streaks on or in.
1595. T. Edwards, Narcissus (Roxb.), 55. Now Phœbus gins … To streake the welkin with his darting beames.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xiv. 254. No browne, nor sullyed black the face or legs [of the Cotswold sheep] doth streak.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 354. Some pieces of Rock streaked with gold and silver.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 623. To morrow ere fresh Morning streak the East With first approach of light.
1784. trans. Beckford’s Vathek (1868), 22. The clear blue sky appeared streaked over with streams of blood.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, V. 188. Pure as lines of green that streak the white Of the first snowdrop’s inner leaves.
1888. F. Hume, Mme. Midas, I. Prol. The sudden line of white foam every now and then streaking the dark green waves.
1913. Illustr. Lond. News, 22 Feb., 238/3. Large mines of rock-salt streaked here and there by riband-like veins of sylvine.
fig. 1711. Steele, Spect., No. 118, ¶ 3. This Affliction in my Life has streaked all my Conduct with a Softness, of which I should otherwise have been incapable.
3. To form or prolong in streaks.
1895. ‘Percy Hemingway,’ Out of Egypt, II. 180–1. He looked at the great oaks standing motionless, at the answering shadows streaked along the meadows.
4. intr. † a. Of a comet: To emit rays or streamers of light. Obs.
1606. Heywood, 2nd Pt. Q. Eliz. Troub. (1609), E 2. Looke how it streakes, what doe you thinke of it? Shir. Tis a strang Comet M. Hobson.
b. Of lightning: To break forth in a streak.
1849. Cupples, Green Hand, xiv. (1856), 139. I saw a blue flare of lightning streak out betwixt the bank of grey haze and the cloud that hung over it.
1902. Westm. Gaz., 2 July, 2/3. Perhaps, however, lightning can streak into many places at once.
5. To become streaked or streaky.
1870. Pall Mall Gaz., 25 Nov., 12/2. His locks are thinning and his whiskers streaking with silver.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., III. 231. Paper at all liable to streak should be toned slowly.
Hence Streaking vbl. sb., the action of the verb; concr. a series or arrangement of streaks.
1677. Coles, Eng.-Lat. Dict., A Streaking, distinctio.
a. 1820. J. R. Drake, Amer. Flag, 8. She … striped its pure celestial white With streakings of the morning light.
1845. Lindley, School Bot. (1866), 133. The sepals have a deep brown streaking at the back.
1898. G. W. Cable, Grandissimes, viii. 43. Hair en quene, the handsomer for its premature streakings of grey.
