# stripe

/ˈstɹaɪp/ (US) · /stɹˈaɪp/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. a line of color

noun · CEFR A2

a long, narrow line of color that looks different from the background.

For teachers: a long, relatively straight region of a single color that contrasts with the surrounding surface.

- The zebra has black and white stripes all over its body.
- The designer chose a wallpaper with bold vertical stripes to create the illusion of height in the low-ceilinged Victorian parlor.

### 2. military rank

noun · CEFR B2

the V-shaped lines on a uniform that show a person's rank in the army or police.

For teachers: chevron-shaped insignia worn on a uniform sleeve to indicate non-commissioned officer rank.

- He was proud to finally earn his third stripe and become a sergeant.
- After years of disciplined service in the infantry, he was finally awarded the stripes of a senior non-commissioned officer.

### 3. type or category

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a particular type of person or thing.

For teachers: a distinguishing characteristic or category of person; often used in the phrase 'of that stripe'.

- We don't usually see many politicians of that stripe in our small town.
- The conference attracted activists and intellectuals of every political stripe, leading to a series of remarkably diverse debates.

### 4. computing data

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a way to split computer data across several disks to make it faster or safer.

For teachers: a segment of data distributed across multiple physical storage devices to improve performance or provide redundancy.

- The server uses a data stripe to speed up how fast it can read files.
- The RAID controller manages the stripe width across the array to optimize the balance between read speeds and fault tolerance.

### 5. to mark with lines

verb · CEFR B1

to draw or paint long lines on something.

For teachers: to mark a surface with stripes of a contrasting color or texture.

- The workers began to stripe the road with fresh white paint.
- The morning sun began to stripe the forest floor with long, narrow shadows as it rose above the canopy.

## Examples

- The zebra has black and white stripes.
- She wore a blue shirt with thin white stripes for her job interview.
- The artist used bold vertical stripes to create an illusion of height in the small gallery room, drawing the viewer's eye toward the ceiling.

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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.