strikes

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of strike.

   Lightning rarely strikes the same spot twice.

   He strikes a match and lights the lantern.

   Note

   The he-she-it form carries both halves of the verb's grammar. With an object it hits, deletes or stamps: an editor strikes a line, a mint strikes a coin. Without one it delivers a quick blow, as when a snake strikes. An older, now dated use has a ship that strikes on a rock and runs aground. The identical spelling is also the noun's plural.

2. 2
   noun

   Plural of strike.

   Labor strikes spread across several cities during the recession.

   Her final two strikes sealed the championship for the team.

   Note

   One spelling carries every kind of strike at once: missed swings at the plate, perfect first rolls in bowling, work stoppages, blows, attacks, and the exercise prices of options. Only the surrounding words decide which: a batter at the plate, a union behind a walkout, a trader comparing option prices. The same letters also spell the present-tense verb, so "the strikes" and "she strikes" are different words.

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