• Strafe

    Pronunciation

    • UK, US IPA: /stɹeɪf/
    • less commonly also IPA: /strÉ‘f/
    • Rhymes: -eɪf

    Origin

    German strafe ("punish"), a conjugated form of strafen ("punish") the British saw in German expressions like "Gott strafe England" ("God punish England") during the First World War.

    Full definition of strafe

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft.
    2. (intransitive, video games) to sidestep; to move sideways without turning. A core mechanic of most first-person shooters.
      • 2001, Jana Hallford, Swords and circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing gamesIf the NPC is close to the player, he may also try using the tried-and-true Quake circle-strafing technique.
      • 2007, Stephen Cawood, Pat McGee, Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's GuideA 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.

    Noun

    strafe

    (plural strafes)
    1. An attack of machine-gun or cannon fire from a low-flying aircraft.
    2. (video games) A sideways movement without turning.
      • 2004, Marc Saltzman, Game Creation and Careers: Insider Secrets from Industry ExpertsWe also have added a new game control called the "defensive strafe," in which the user can press a button and stay facing forward.

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