strike (v.)

Middle English striken, from Old English strican (past tense strac, past participle stricen) "pass lightly over, stroke, smooth, rub" (senses now obsolete), also "go, move, proceed, make one's way," from Proto-Germanic *strikanan (source also of Old Norse strykva "to stroke," Old Frisian strika, Middle Dutch streken, Dutch strijken "to smooth, stroke, rub," Old High German strihhan, German streichen), from PIE root *strig- "to stroke, rub, press" (see strigil).

It is related to streak (n.) and stroke, and perhaps influenced in sense development by cognate Old Norse striuka. The sense of "go proceed, advance" is preserved in strike for "go toward."

The transitive sense of "deal a blow" developed by early 14c. The meaning "collide, impinge upon," is from mid-14c.; that of "hit with a hammer" is from mid-14c.; that of "hit with a missile" is from late 14c. To strike while the iron is hot (1560s) is an image from blacksmithing.

The meaning "cancel or expunge" (as with the stroke of a pen) is attested from late 14c. It is attested from mid-15c. as "reach or conclude" an agreement, etc. To strike a balance is from the sense "balance accounts" (1530s).

As "produce" a fire or spark "by blows or strokes" (as with a flint), from mid-15c.; in reference to matches, by 1880. Of lightning, etc., late 14c.; of diseases 1520s; of God's punishments 1570s.

The sense of "stamp with a stroke," as a coin, etc., is by mid-15c. Hence the figurative sense "imprint on the mind, impress (one) strongly" (1610s).

Of clocks, "sound the hour" (intransitive), early 15c., from the hammer striking the bell; transitive sense of "cause to sound" (a specified time) is by 1510s.

The sense in strike a pose, attitude, etc. "put oneself determinedly in, fall into" is by 1825. The sense of "come upon, find unexpectedly" (of oil, ideas, etc.) is by 1835, especially in gold-mining, well-digging, etc., hence strike it rich (1854).

The use of the word in baseball is by 1853, but the sense has reversed (see strike (n.)).

The meaning "refuse to work to force an employer to meet demands" is from 1768, perhaps from the notion of striking or "downing" one's tools, or threatening or coercive action, or from a sailors' practice of striking (lowering) a ship's sails as a symbol of refusal to go to sea (1768), which preserves the verb's original sense of "make level, smooth."

To strike as "lower" (sails) is by early 13c., later in reference to lowering the flags or colors in token of respect, but then also to do so to surrender or yield. Hence also to let down a tent (1707), theater scenery, etc. 

1580s, "act of striking, a blow or darting at a prey," from strike (v.). The earlier noun was striking (n.), c. 1400.

The meaning "coordinated cessation of work by a body of employees" is from 1810 (in general strike). The extended sense (as in hunger strike) is by 1889. Strike-breaker "scab" is by 1904.

In baseball the word is recorded from 1841, originally "a hit, contact with the ball," no matter where it went. A hit ball that didn't land in fair play was a foul strike (by 1874, what would later be a foul ball), and it counted against the batter as a miss. As hit (n.) came to be used for "contact that puts the ball in play" and may score runs, strike was left for "a foul strike" as well as "a swing and a miss" both of which count against the batter.

These senses emerged by 1890s: in reference to the batter, "an unsuccessful attempt to hit the ball," 1896; and, in reference to the pitcher, "a ball so pitched to pass over home plate and which the umpire considers the batter should have swung at," 1891.

The figurative sense of having two strikes against (of a possible three), "be down to ones last opportunity" is from 1938. Strike zone, "imaginary rectangle with the batter's shoulders and knees as its top and bottom and home plate's edges as its sides," is by 1927. Compare the baseball shorthand use of K for "strikeout."

The bowling sense (also sometimes ten-strike), "a knocking down of all the pins with one ball" is attested by 1859. The meaning "sudden military attack" is attested from 1942.