strafe
strafe
UK[stɹɑːf]US[stɹeɪf]
v
to attack (ground troops, for example) with a machine gun or cannon from a low-flying aircraft.
v
to bombard with bombs, shells, or missiles.
v
to criticize severely.
Etymology
the word 'strafe' entered english during world war i, borrowed directly from the german verb 'strafen', meaning 'to punish'. this adoption was heavily influenced by the german propaganda phrase "gott strafe england" ("god punish england"), which became widely known among allied troops. the term's meaning shifted specifically in military english to denote the punitive act of low-altitude machine-gun or cannon fire against ground targets. thus, a general term for punishment evolved into a precise technical term for a specific form of aerial attack, retaining its connotation of inflicting a severe penalty.
Analysis
the word is a loanword from german and is not productively formed from separable english morphemes.
Examples
the fighter jets were ordered to strafe the enemy convoy.
the position was strafed repeatedly throughout the night.
the editorial strafed the government's new policy as reckless.