Also α. 6 strack, strak, straake, 7 straak, 6–8 straik; β. 6 streake, 6–9 streak. [ME. strake, app. belonging to the OTeut. root *strak- whence *strakjan, OE. stręccan STRETCH v. Cf. NFris. (Sylt) straak a stretch, straake v. to stretch oneself.
It is perh. impossible to distinguish accurately between this word and STREAK sb. (:—OE. strica). From the 16th c., in some dialects, streak has been a possible phonetic spelling of strake sb.1, and strake of STREAK sb. The two words, etymologically unconnected, have developed senses nearly coincident, and have to some extent coalesced.
There is also some confusion between this word and strake northern form of STROKE sb.]
1. a. A section of the iron rim of a cart-wheel. b. A strip of iron attached to the left side of a plow (= PLOUGHSTRAKE).
α. 1330–1. Exchequer Acc., K. R. Bundle 18 no. 34 (Publ. Rec. Off.). xii. strak’ ferri pro rotis carectarum.
1334–5. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 526. In reparacione 1 strakis, 35 straknaill’ et 4 wyndbandes, 23d.
1407–8. in Hudson & Tingey, Rec. Norwich (1910), II. 55. [To the same for] carte strakes, cloutes [and nails].
1519. trans. Rentale Dunkeld. (S.H.S.), 299. Making 4 lie straikis of iron for lie extreis, 4d.
1538. Elyot, Dict., Canthus, the yron wherwith the extremytie of wheeles be bounden, the straake of a carte.
1539. Archæologia, XI. 439. 23 stracks of iron for saker and fawcon whelys.
1587. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 308. xj straikes of iron, for byndyng a paire of wheles.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XX. 347. His body … Which Grecian horse broke with the strakes, naild to their chariot wheeles.
1710. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., II. Straiks, in Gunnery, are Plates of Iron of the length and breadth of one of the 6 Felloes, which serve for the Round of the Wheel of a Gun-carriage.
1794. W. Felton, Carriages (1801), I. 112. The strake is the short iron with which the common wheel is rung.
1832. Scoreby Farm Rep., 3, in Libr. Usef. Knowl., Husb., III. The plough … is … made of ash-wood, with a mould-board and slips, or strakes of cast iron.
1888. T. Hardy, Wessex Tales, II. 187. The waggon-wheels be without strakes.
1894. Jessopp, Random Roaming, etc. 138. The next best substitute for tyres, to wit, thick iron plates, called strakes, attached to the fellies by long spikes.
β. 1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Victus, an hoope, or a streake of a carte.
1633. Pat. Office, 229. 1. A new Invencion of makeing severall things of Iron … as Streaks or Tire for Wheeles, &c.
1797. J. Curr, Coal Viewer, 15. The corf … contains neat measure clear of the boxes which cover the wheels, to the streak, 20491 solid inches.
1858. Straith’s Fortif. & Artillery (ed. 7), II. 121. The English tire is on in six pieces, called streaks.
1876. Voyle & Stevenson, Milit. Dict., 411/2. Streak, iron plate fastened in pieces to form the tire round the circumference of gun-carriage or other wheels [etc.].
2. A stripe of different color from the rest of the surface of which it forms part: = STREAK sb.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVI. iii. (Tollemache MS.). Alabaster is a white stone with strakes of diuerse coloure.
1496–7. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 33. A diaper towell … with vj strakis at euerye ende.
1537. Bible (‘Matthew’), Gen. xxx. 37. Iacob toke roddes of … hasell & of chestnot-trees, & pylled whyte strakes [so 1611; Coverdale, strekes] in them.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 381. Summe lowe places … looke like redde cliffes with white strakes like wayes a cable length a piece.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. 116 b. Others commend the blacke, specially if he haue either white starre in his forhed, or strake downe his face.
1589. Greene, Tullies Love, Wks. (Grosart), VII. 123. The purest Chrisolite hath his strakes.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. iv. 15. His burning eyen, whom bloody strakes did staine.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xiv. (1611), 131. His colour most commonlie sandie with a blacke strake along his backe.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., 70. As soon as their Maids become marriageable, they make several blew strakes in their faces.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, June 1645. They weare very long crisped haire, of severall strakes and colours.
1735. Dyche & Pardon, Dict., Strake,… also any Stroke or Mark of a different Colour upon Cattle, Fruit, &c.
1750. W. Ellis, Mod. Husb., III. i. 131 (E. D. S.). Mix beaten salt regularly with [the butter],… else the buttermilk, whey, and salt will shew themselves in strakes.
1879. G. Macdonald, Sir Gibbie, li. There’s ae unco black ane [cloud] yon’er … wi’ a straik o’ white, aboot the thrapple o’ ’t.
3. Naut. Each of the several continuous lines of planking or plates, of uniform breadth, in the side of a vessel, extending from stem to stern. Hence, the breadth of a plank used as a unit of vertical measurement in a ship’s side.
Binding-strake, see quot. 1867. Garboard strake, see GARBOARD.
α. 1419. Alcetre, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. I. 69. At the making of this Letter yt [sc. the ship] was in this estate, that ys to wetyng xxxvj strakys in hyth ybordyd, on the weche strakys byth ylayde xi bemys.
1537. St. Papers Hen. VIII., I. 569. The greate tymber of the ship is alredy framed, and thre strakes therof planked.
1627. Capt. Smith, Sea Gram., xi. 53. By ripping off the plankes two or three strakes vnder water.
1727. Bailey, vol. II., s.v. Strake, To heel a Strake [Sea Term], a Ship is said so to do, when she inclines or hangs more to one Side than another, the Quantity of a whole Plank’s Breadth.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Black-strakes, a range of planks immediately above the wales in a ship’s side.
1840. Civil Engin. & Arch. Jrnl., III. 349/2. The lower 6 strakes which form the bottom, and extend from the keel-plate to the turn of the bilge, are clinker-built.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., 102. Binding-strakes, thick planks on the decks, in midships, between the hatchways. Also the principal strakes of plank in a vessel.
1892. Kipling, Barrack-r. Ballads, The ‘Bolivar,’ 143. We … Heard the seas like drunken men pounding at her strake.
1894. Act 57 & 58 Vict., c. 60, Sch. 2 (1). Deducting the average thickness of the ceiling which is between the bilge planks and limber strake.
1896. Kipling, Seven Seas, Derelict, 75. The footless, floating weed Folds me and fouls me, strake on strake upcrawling.
1914. D. G. Browne, in Blackw. Mag., April, 501/2. The yawl was now being raised a strake, that she might follow the long-boat.
β. a. 1612. Ralegh, Lett. to Pr. Henry, Sceptick etc. (1651), 130. Which with a deep keel and standing streak she would perform.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. x. 104. The ship heeled afterwards two streaks to port.
1773. Cook’s 1st Voy., III. iv. in Hawkesw., Voy., III. 567. He reported that three streaks of the sheathing, about eight feet long, were wanting.
1797. S. James, Narr. Voy., 192. Hove the ship six streaks out of water.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxxv. 134. We painted her on the outside, giving her open ports in her streak.
1856. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Rural Sports, II. VIII. iii. 475/1. When first these boats were introduced, they were almost always built of four or five streaks, or planks, on each side.
1863. Reade, Hard Cash, xiv. The Agra rose a streak; and the next wave carried her a little farther in shore.
b. ? Erroneous definition.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 166/2. Strake, is a seam between two Planks.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I.
† 4. A reef in a sail. Obs.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, IV. 80. For ne had þei striked a strake … And abated a bonet or þe blast come, Þey had be þrowe ouere þe borde backewarde ichonne.
† 5. A strip, narrow tract (of land or water). Obs.
1503. in Trans. Roy. Hist. Soc. (1902), 152. Beyng yn a strake of a medowe lyeng yn the bak syde of Crambroke.
1511. Guylforde’s Pilgr. (Camden), 12. This Morrea is … almoste inuyrounde with the see, excepte one strake of a .vj. myle brode, whiche yeueth entre into Grecia.
1577–87. Harrison, England, II. iv. 155, in Holinshed. Lach lade, which is parted from the main countie of Barkeshire by a little strake of Oxfordshire.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 336. Ane great fowsie and strak of watter.
b. A stretch of ground travelled over. Also, length of stride; speed in travelling, pace.
1558. Phaër, Æneid, VIII. (1562), Cc 1. Thei through ye thornie downs … in armour iointly ryde, hie shoutes vprise, & clustring strakes thei gallup.
1804. in Daily Chron. (1904), 25 Aug., 4/7. [Her horse had] much the shorter strake of the two.
1823. W. Tennant, Cdl. Beaton, V. vii. 171. Aweel, we’ve haen a fine straik, an’ are now safe hame agen.
1865. Mrs. Whitney, Gayworthys, xvi. ‘Well, I’m restless,’ replied Gershom,… ‘she ’s [the ship’s] going a good streak, ain’t she? We ’ll be in by to-morrow night, they say.’
† 6. A ray, beam of light. Obs.
c. 1400. Three Kings Cologne (1886), 34. Þe sterre … is nothyng liche to sterres þat be peynted here in diuers places: ffor hit had riȝt many longe strakys and beemys.
1594. Nashe, Terrors of Night, Wks. 1904, I. 354. Bloody streamers, blasing Comets, firie strakes.
a. 1633. Austen, Medit. (1635), 23. So … Followes him a heavenly strake, Darting Light through all his path.
1825. R. Carruthers, in F. Miller, Poets Dumfriesh. (1910), 224. In quiet lang straiks the holie licht lay On the swaird.
7. A swath (of mown grass); a wisp (of straw).
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 124/2. Fœni striga,… the swathe or strake of grasse, as it lyeth mowne downe with the sithe.
1909. Jane Barlow, Irish Ways, 1. He was standing on a step-ladder to darn his thatched roof with strakes of straw.
† 8. A wheel-rut. Obs.
1617. Minsheu, Ductor, s.v., The Strake of a wheele [is so called] … because it makes a strake in the ground as it goeth.
1655. trans. Sorel’s Com. Hist. Francion, III. 53. At last, lighting into the Concave of a strake [F. horniere] made by the Wheel of the Sun’s Chariot, there my Course was stopp’d.
9. Comb.: strake-nail, a kind of nail used for fastening the strakes to the wheel; † strake-shide, a piece of wood forming one of the timbers of a saw-pit; strake-tire, a tire composed of strakes.
1334–5. *Strake-nail [see 1].
1570. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 329. I do gyue … vnto my Godsonn Mychiell tompson … a great naill tull & a straicke naill tull.
1802. C. James, Milit. Dict., Streak-Nails are those which fasten the streaks to the fellies of the wheels.
1536. Churchw. Acc. Yatton (Somerset Rec. Soc.), 150. Payd for drawyng of *strake schyd to ye sayd pytte, vd.
1837. W. B. Adams, Carriages, 95. The application of what is called a ‘hoop tire’ instead of a *‘strake tire.’
