Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STREAK, n. [Sax. strica, a line, direction, course; strican, to go; stric, a stroke, a plague, and strec, a stretch; G. streich, a stroke or stripe, and strich, id.; D. streek; course; Dan. streg, a stroke or line; strikke, a cord; strög, a stroke, a tract, a row; Sw. stråk; Ir. strioc. These have all the same elements, and the L. stria is probably a contraction of the same word; Sp. traca, without a prefix.]

1. A line or long mark, of a different color from the ground; a stripe. What mean those color'd streaks in heaven? – Milton.
2. In a ship, a uniform range of planks on the side or bottom; sometimes pronounced strake. – Mar. Dict.