# striker

/ˈstɹaɪkɝ/ (US) · /stɹˈaɪkɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/striker
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. football player

noun · CEFR B1

a player in football whose main job is to stay near the other team's goal and score.

For teachers: an attacking player positioned closest to the opposing team's goal, primarily tasked with scoring.

- The team's star striker scored two goals in the final ten minutes of the game.
- The manager decided to play with a lone striker, hoping to exploit the opponent's defensive gaps through quick counter-attacks.

### 2. protesting worker

noun · CEFR B2

a worker who stops working as part of an official protest to get better pay or conditions.

For teachers: an employee who participates in a collective refusal to work as a means of industrial or political protest.

- Hundreds of strikers gathered outside the factory gates with signs and banners.
- The union provided financial support to the strikers during the three-month standoff with the manufacturing firm.

### 3. mechanical part

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a part of a machine or a tool that hits something else to make it work.

For teachers: a part of a mechanism, such as a clock or a firearm, that strikes another part to trigger an action.

- The striker in the old clock hits the bell every hour.
- The technician identified a hairline fracture in the striker, which prevented the firing mechanism from engaging correctly.

### 4. military orderly

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · American English

a soldier who acts as a servant for an officer.

For teachers: a soldier assigned to perform personal services or manual tasks for a superior officer.

- The captain's striker made sure his uniform was clean and his boots were polished.
- In historical military accounts, the role of the striker often blurred the lines between combat duty and domestic service for the officer class-conscious officer corps.

## Examples

- The team's star striker scored two goals in the final minutes.
- The coach decided to substitute the tired striker for a faster player to increase their chances of scoring.
- Despite intense defensive pressure throughout the match, the striker found a narrow opening and clinicaly finished the play with a powerful header.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.
