"strafe" meaning in English

See strafe in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /stɹeɪf/ [UK, US], /stɹɑf/ [also, uncommon], /stɹæf/ [also, uncommon] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strafe.wav Forms: strafes [plural]
Rhymes: -eɪf Etymology: From German strafe (“punish”) (a conjugated form of strafen), from phrases like Gott strafe England (“God punish England”) which the British saw during the First World War. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|de|strafen|strafe|punish}} German strafe (“punish”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} strafe (plural strafes)
  1. (World War I) A heavy artillery bombardment. Tags: World-War-I
    Sense id: en-strafe-en-noun-kedv7aJo Categories (other): World War I
  2. An attack of machine-gun or cannon fire from a low-flying aircraft. Translations (an attack from a low-flying aircraft): ostřelování ze vzduchu (Czech), útok ze vzduchu (Czech), mitragliamento [masculine] (Italian), mitraljiranje [neuter] (Serbo-Croatian), ametrallamiento desde el aire [masculine] (Spanish), ametrallamiento aéreo [masculine] (Spanish), aeroametrallamiento [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-strafe-en-noun-9fqagxLG Disambiguation of 'an attack from a low-flying aircraft': 1 95 5
  3. (video games) A sideways movement without turning.
    Sense id: en-strafe-en-noun-QAJZYDlM Categories (other): Video games, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 4 15 18 4 24 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 3 17 15 1 30 30 Topics: video-games

Verb

IPA: /stɹeɪf/ [UK, US], /stɹɑf/ [also, uncommon], /stɹæf/ [also, uncommon] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strafe.wav Forms: strafes [present, singular, third-person], strafing [participle, present], strafed [participle, past], strafed [past]
Rhymes: -eɪf Etymology: From German strafe (“punish”) (a conjugated form of strafen), from phrases like Gott strafe England (“God punish England”) which the British saw during the First World War. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|de|strafen|strafe|punish}} German strafe (“punish”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} strafe (third-person singular simple present strafes, present participle strafing, simple past and past participle strafed)
  1. (transitive, military, aviation) To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft. Tags: transitive Translations (to attack with automatic gunfire): ostřelovat [imperfective] (Czech), mitrailler (French), mitragliare (Italian), mitraljirati (Serbo-Croatian), ametrallar (Spanish), ametrallar desde el aire (Spanish), ametrallar aéreamente (Spanish), aeroametrallar (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-strafe-en-verb-WrLqmiM8 Categories (other): Aviation, Military, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 4 15 18 4 24 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 3 17 15 1 30 30 Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, war Disambiguation of 'to attack with automatic gunfire': 57 34 8 1
  2. (transitive, military, by extension) To rake (a target) with rapid or automatic gunfire. Tags: broadly, transitive
    Sense id: en-strafe-en-verb-AqB2ATaN Categories (other): Military Topics: government, military, politics, war
  3. (transitive, military, figurative) To reprimand severely. Tags: figuratively, transitive
    Sense id: en-strafe-en-verb-GcDRr9BQ Categories (other): Military, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with entries, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 4 15 18 4 24 28 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 7 5 14 13 2 40 20 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 3 17 15 1 30 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 7 4 20 18 3 28 22 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 7 6 18 17 1 30 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 6 4 19 20 3 27 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations: 7 4 20 18 3 28 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 6 4 18 18 1 31 22 Topics: government, military, politics, war
  4. (intransitive, video games) To sidestep; to move sideways without turning (a core mechanic of most first-person shooters). Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-strafe-en-verb-qFcZpWzP Categories (other): Video games, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 4 15 18 4 24 28 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 6 4 17 15 2 25 31 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 3 17 15 1 30 30 Topics: video-games
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: circle-strafe

Inflected forms

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      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "circle-strafe"
    }
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      "form": "strafing",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
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          "kind": "other",
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          "text": "These should be especially useful against low-flying planes that \"strafe\" infantry and transport columns with machine-gun fire and light bombs.",
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        "To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft."
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          "gunfire",
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        "(transitive, military, aviation) To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft."
      ],
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      "translations": [
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          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
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          "word": "ostřelovat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "word": "mitrailler"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "lang_code": "it",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "word": "mitragliare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "lang_code": "sh",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "word": "mitraljirati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "word": "ametrallar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "word": "ametrallar desde el aire"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "word": "ametrallar aéreamente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 34 8 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
          "word": "aeroametrallar"
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          "ref": "2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 20:16 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN), archived from the original on 17 Oct 2022:",
          "text": "Laffey, fresh off from strafing Hiei, ran straight into a quarter of the Japanese navy's remaining destroyers, and, along with Kirishima, between gunfire and another successful Type 93 torpedo strike that tore off the ship's stern, the hapless destroyer was left drifting, ablaze, and would eventually sink.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        "To rake (a target) with rapid or automatic gunfire."
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, military, by extension) To rake (a target) with rapid or automatic gunfire."
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        "transitive"
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          "_dis": "6 4 18 18 1 31 22",
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          "ref": "1933, Thomas Clement Lonergan, “Private 19022”, in The Military Engineer, volume 23, number 132, page 582:",
          "text": "You will get an officer sometimes fu'l of shout and swank, an' 'e 'll put 'em through it, an' strafe 'em, an' walk off parade feelin' that 'e 'as put the fear o' God into 'em.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        "To reprimand severely."
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        "(transitive, military, figurative) To reprimand severely."
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1992, id Software, Wolfenstein 3D (game manual), page 4",
          "text": "Strafe — Press the Alt key and the left or right Arrow key to slide side to side instead of turning left or right."
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
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              89,
              97
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          "ref": "2001, Jana Hallford, Swords and circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games:",
          "text": "If the NPC is close to the player, he may also try using the tried-and-true Quake circle-strafing technique.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
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          "ref": "2007, Stephen Cawood, Pat McGee, Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide:",
          "text": "A strafe is a side-to-side camera movement. If you're a fan of first-person shooter games, you know how fundamental strafing can be to a game.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To sidestep; to move sideways without turning (a core mechanic of most first-person shooters)."
      ],
      "id": "en-strafe-en-verb-qFcZpWzP",
      "links": [
        [
          "video game",
          "video game"
        ],
        [
          "sidestep",
          "sidestep"
        ],
        [
          "move",
          "move"
        ],
        [
          "sideways",
          "sideways"
        ],
        [
          "turn",
          "turn"
        ],
        [
          "first-person shooter",
          "first-person shooter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, video games) To sidestep; to move sideways without turning (a core mechanic of most first-person shooters)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "video-games"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹeɪf/",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strafe.wav",
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    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹɑf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹæf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "strafe"
}

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      "expansion": "German strafe (“punish”)",
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          "text": "They were unfortunate, for a well-aimed shell during a German evening strafe demolished the apple tree and the nest.",
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        "(World War I) A heavy artillery bombardment."
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      "tags": [
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        "An attack of machine-gun or cannon fire from a low-flying aircraft."
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        [
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 5",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
          "word": "ostřelování ze vzduchu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 5",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
          "word": "útok ze vzduchu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "lang_code": "it",
          "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
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          "word": "mitragliamento"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 5",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "lang_code": "sh",
          "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
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          "word": "mitraljiranje"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ametrallamiento desde el aire"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ametrallamiento aéreo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "aeroametrallamiento"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
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        {
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          "ref": "2004, Marc Saltzman, Game Creation and Careers: Insider Secrets from Industry Experts:",
          "text": "We also have added a new game control called the \"defensive strafe,\" in which the user can press a button and stay facing forward.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sideways movement without turning."
      ],
      "id": "en-strafe-en-noun-QAJZYDlM",
      "links": [
        [
          "video game",
          "video game"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(video games) A sideways movement without turning."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "video-games"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹeɪf/",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strafe.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹɑf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹæf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪf"
    }
  ],
  "word": "strafe"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from German",
    "English terms derived from German",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪf",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪf/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "circle-strafe"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "strafen",
        "4": "strafe",
        "5": "punish"
      },
      "expansion": "German strafe (“punish”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From German strafe (“punish”) (a conjugated form of strafen), from phrases like Gott strafe England (“God punish England”) which the British saw during the First World War.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "strafes",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "strafing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "strafed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "strafed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "strafe (third-person singular simple present strafes, present participle strafing, simple past and past participle strafed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Aviation",
        "en:Military"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              66,
              72
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1929, Frank Thone, “‘Thinking Machine’ Aims Guns”, in The Science News-Letter, volume 16, number 437, pages 107-09:",
          "text": "These should be especially useful against low-flying planes that \"strafe\" infantry and transport columns with machine-gun fire and light bombs.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "aviation",
          "aviation"
        ],
        [
          "attack",
          "attack"
        ],
        [
          "ground",
          "ground"
        ],
        [
          "target",
          "target"
        ],
        [
          "automatic",
          "automatic"
        ],
        [
          "gunfire",
          "gunfire"
        ],
        [
          "low",
          "low"
        ],
        [
          "fly",
          "fly"
        ],
        [
          "aircraft",
          "aircraft"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, military, aviation) To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "aeronautics",
        "aerospace",
        "aviation",
        "business",
        "engineering",
        "government",
        "military",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "politics",
        "war"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Military"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              23,
              31
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 20:16 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN), archived from the original on 17 Oct 2022:",
          "text": "Laffey, fresh off from strafing Hiei, ran straight into a quarter of the Japanese navy's remaining destroyers, and, along with Kirishima, between gunfire and another successful Type 93 torpedo strike that tore off the ship's stern, the hapless destroyer was left drifting, ablaze, and would eventually sink.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To rake (a target) with rapid or automatic gunfire."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "rake",
          "rake"
        ],
        [
          "rapid",
          "rapid"
        ],
        [
          "automatic",
          "automatic"
        ],
        [
          "gunfire",
          "gunfire"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, military, by extension) To rake (a target) with rapid or automatic gunfire."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "government",
        "military",
        "politics",
        "war"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Military"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              94,
              100
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1933, Thomas Clement Lonergan, “Private 19022”, in The Military Engineer, volume 23, number 132, page 582:",
          "text": "You will get an officer sometimes fu'l of shout and swank, an' 'e 'll put 'em through it, an' strafe 'em, an' walk off parade feelin' that 'e 'as put the fear o' God into 'em.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To reprimand severely."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "reprimand",
          "reprimand"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, military, figurative) To reprimand severely."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "government",
        "military",
        "politics",
        "war"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "en:Video games"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1992, id Software, Wolfenstein 3D (game manual), page 4",
          "text": "Strafe — Press the Alt key and the left or right Arrow key to slide side to side instead of turning left or right."
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              89,
              97
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2001, Jana Hallford, Swords and circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games:",
          "text": "If the NPC is close to the player, he may also try using the tried-and-true Quake circle-strafing technique.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              116,
              124
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007, Stephen Cawood, Pat McGee, Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide:",
          "text": "A strafe is a side-to-side camera movement. If you're a fan of first-person shooter games, you know how fundamental strafing can be to a game.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To sidestep; to move sideways without turning (a core mechanic of most first-person shooters)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "video game",
          "video game"
        ],
        [
          "sidestep",
          "sidestep"
        ],
        [
          "move",
          "move"
        ],
        [
          "sideways",
          "sideways"
        ],
        [
          "turn",
          "turn"
        ],
        [
          "first-person shooter",
          "first-person shooter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, video games) To sidestep; to move sideways without turning (a core mechanic of most first-person shooters)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "video-games"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹeɪf/",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strafe.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹɑf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹæf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪf"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "ostřelovat"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "word": "mitrailler"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "word": "mitragliare"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "lang_code": "sh",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "word": "mitraljirati"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "word": "ametrallar"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "word": "ametrallar desde el aire"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "word": "ametrallar aéreamente"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "to attack with automatic gunfire",
      "word": "aeroametrallar"
    }
  ],
  "word": "strafe"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from German",
    "English terms derived from German",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪf",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪf/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "strafen",
        "4": "strafe",
        "5": "punish"
      },
      "expansion": "German strafe (“punish”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From German strafe (“punish”) (a conjugated form of strafen), from phrases like Gott strafe England (“God punish England”) which the British saw during the First World War.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "strafes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "strafe (plural strafes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:World War I"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              70,
              76
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1917, H.Thoburn-Clarke, “Nesting Mothers of Battle Zone: Bird Life Where Cannons Roar”, in Current History, volume 6, number 1, page 142:",
          "text": "They were unfortunate, for a well-aimed shell during a German evening strafe demolished the apple tree and the nest.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A heavy artillery bombardment."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "artillery",
          "artillery"
        ],
        [
          "bombardment",
          "bombardment"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(World War I) A heavy artillery bombardment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "World-War-I"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An attack of machine-gun or cannon fire from a low-flying aircraft."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "attack",
          "attack"
        ],
        [
          "machine-gun",
          "machine gun"
        ],
        [
          "cannon",
          "cannon"
        ],
        [
          "fire",
          "fire"
        ],
        [
          "low",
          "low"
        ],
        [
          "fly",
          "fly"
        ],
        [
          "aircraft",
          "aircraft"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Video games"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              60,
              66
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2004, Marc Saltzman, Game Creation and Careers: Insider Secrets from Industry Experts:",
          "text": "We also have added a new game control called the \"defensive strafe,\" in which the user can press a button and stay facing forward.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sideways movement without turning."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "video game",
          "video game"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(video games) A sideways movement without turning."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "video-games"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹeɪf/",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strafe.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-strafe.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹɑf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/stɹæf/",
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪf"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
      "word": "ostřelování ze vzduchu"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
      "word": "útok ze vzduchu"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mitragliamento"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "lang_code": "sh",
      "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "mitraljiranje"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ametrallamiento desde el aire"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ametrallamiento aéreo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "an attack from a low-flying aircraft",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "aeroametrallamiento"
    }
  ],
  "word": "strafe"
}

Download raw JSONL data for strafe meaning in English (11.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.