Streich
German edit
Etymology edit
From Middle High German streich, from Old High German *streih, from Proto-West Germanic *straik (“stroke”). Compare Dutch streek, English stroke. In Middle High German the form strīch also occurs, which is either an adaptation to, or a new derivation from, the underlying verb streichen. In Modern Standard German both forms would have merged, but most dialects continue West Germanic ai.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Streich m (strong, genitive Streiches or Streichs, plural Streiche)
- (higher register) stroke (act of striking e.g. with a hand or a cutting weapon)
- (figurative) feat, coup (quick and decisive act)
- Synonyms: Coup, Schlag, Handstreich
- (by narrowing especially) practical joke, prank
Declension edit
Declension of Streich [masculine, strong]
Derived terms edit
- (stroke): auf einen Streich, Backenstreich, Schwertstreich
- (feat): Staatsstreich
- (prank): Dumme-Jungen-Streich, einen Streich spielen