1.
strike (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch that the batter swings at and misses, or that passes through the strike zone without being swung at. Three strikes result in a strikeout.
2.
strike (bowling)
In bowling, knocking down all ten pins with the first ball of a frame.
3.
one's type; ideal match (slang)
Informal usage meaning someone or something that perfectly matches one's preferences. From the baseball sense of hitting the strike zone.
From English "strike." Most commonly associated with baseball in Japan, given baseball's enormous popularity. Note that this word refers specifically to the sports term; the labor strike meaning uses ストライキ instead.
The slang sense (one's type) is popular in casual speech and on social media, derived from the baseball metaphor of being "right in the strike zone" of someone's preferences. Often used with ど真ん中 (right down the middle) for emphasis.
Common collocations
- ストライクを投げる: to throw a strike
- ストライクゾーン: strike zone
- 見逃しストライク: called strike (not swung at)
- ストライクを取る: to get a strike (bowling)
- ど真ん中ストライク: right down the middle