struck

Everyday

1. Hit someone or something hard. tree →
2. Of lightning: hit something. tree →
3. Of a clock: rang a bell to show the time. tree →
4. Of an idea or feeling: came suddenly to someone's mind. tree →
5. Lit a match by rubbing it. tree →
6. Stopped work as a protest (as in a strike). tree →
7. To strike terror into someone is to make them suddenly very frightened. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, lightning struck a tree, the clock struck midnight, an idea struck the hero, or the ship struck a rock. In safety, if you hear thunder, lightning can strike — go indoors and stay away from tall trees and water. In maths, «the clock struck 3» can be a problem: how many chimes in a day? Phrases: «struck by lightning», «the clock struck», «it struck me that», «struck a match», «struck dumb».

Examples

• Lightning struck the old oak tree. tree →
• The clock struck twelve at midnight. tree →
• It suddenly struck me that I'd left my bag on the bus. tree →
• The ship struck a rock and began to sink. tree →
• He struck a match to light the candle. tree →
• The ball struck the window and cracked it. tree →
• We were struck by how big the whale was. tree →
• The workers struck for better pay. tree →
• The command struck terror among the beasts. tree →

Note

Irregular: strike, struck, struck (also «stricken» in some phrases). Myth: lightning can strike the same place twice — tall buildings are struck many times a year. Matches are for adults; never play with them.

In Jewish tradition

When it says the LORD "struck" someone, it means God sent illness or punishment. "Struck hands" means making a pledge by clasping hands.

Interpretation. Tradition reads David's child's illness as a result of the sin with Bathsheba. Striking hands for another person is read as a warning not to guarantee a loan lightly.

Examples

• And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore unto David, and it was very sick. (Prophets 2SA.12.15, JPS 1917) tree →
• My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger — (Writings PRO.6.1, JPS 1917) tree →
• 'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? (Writings PRO.23.35, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Irregular: strike, struck, struck (also «stricken» in some phrases). Myth: lightning can strike the same place twice — tall buildings are struck many times a year. Matches are for adults; never play with them.