# strafe

> English word · Verb · IPA /stɹeɪf/ · frequency rank #87,869

## Definitions
1. To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft.
2. To rake (a target) with rapid or automatic gunfire.
3. To reprimand severely.
4. To sidestep; to move sideways without turning (a core mechanic of most first-person shooters).

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/strafe