streak
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
'Streak,' 'stripe,' 'line,' and 'band' all describe a long, narrow mark, but they differ in shape, origin, and connotation. A 'streak' is usually irregular and accidental — paint left by a careless brush, a dirty mark on glass, or a natural colour variation in hair or stone. A 'stripe,' by contrast, is typically intentional and even in width, forming part of a repeated pattern like the black-and-white stripes on a zebra or a prison uniform. 'Line' is the most general term: it can be perfectly straight or curved, drawn or natural, such as the lines on a notebook page or wrinkles around the eyes. 'Band' suggests a wider, belt-like strip that wraps around or across a surface, like a rubber band or a band of light across a photograph. In everyday use, choose 'streak' for accidental or organic marks, 'stripe' for patterns, 'line' for anything drawn or geometric, and 'band' for a thick strip that encircles or spans something.
Common collocations
Etymology
'Streak' traces back to Old English 'strica,' meaning a line, mark, or stroke. It is related to the verb 'strican' (to stroke or pass lightly over), and to the modern word 'stroke.' The sense of 'running naked' dates from the 1970s student craze of streaking on college campuses. The 'consecutive series' meaning (a winning streak) developed from sports and gambling contexts in the 19th century, where success or failure came in unbroken runs.