strike
STRYK
/straɪk/
The act of knocking down all ten pins with the first ball of a frame.
In bowling, a strike is the highest scoring single-throw achievement, marked with an 'X' on the scorecard.
The story behind the word. The word 'strike' comes from the Old English 'strican', which originally meant to stroke or pass lightly over something. Over centuries, the meaning shifted toward hitting or delivering a blow. In bowling, it refers to the decisive blow that sweeps all pins away in one motion.
Word relationships
- perfect hit: 'Perfect hit' is a general description, while 'strike' is the official scoring term.
- gutter ball: A gutter ball scores zero points, while a strike scores the maximum possible points for a single roll.
Commonly confused with
- spare: A strike clears all pins on the first roll; a spare clears them using both rolls of the frame.
Word family
- strikes (noun): plural form of strike
- striker (noun): a player who gets a strike
Collocations
- perfect strike
- consecutive strikes
- strike pocket
- throw a strike
Idioms & expressions
- strike gold
- strike while the iron is hot
Example sentences
- "He threw a perfect strike in the final frame to secure his victory in the tournament." A thrilling moment in a match
Memory hook
You 'strike' down all ten pins with a single powerful blow. Ten down in one blow.
When not to use
Do not use 'strike' to describe clearing the pins on the second attempt; that is a 'spare'.
Fun facts
- A perfect game of bowling consists of 12 consecutive strikes, resulting in a maximum score of 300 points.
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