Strikers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who stop working as a protest to demand better conditions or pay
2. Individuals who refuse to work temporarily to achieve labor goals
3. Workers who collectively halt their labor to express grievances or push for change

Etymology: "Striker" is a plain English formation: the verb "strike" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning someone who performs the action. The suffix has a longer pedigree than the verb. It descends from Proto-Germanic and Old English "-ere," which was itself shaped by Latin "-arius," a suffix for people tied to a trade or role, and it reached English through Old French "-ier" and Middle English "-er." The plural "strikers" simply adds the regular "-s" to that noun. Its meaning owes more to the verb's history than to the suffix: "strike" in the sense of stopping work to press demands carries the image of a sudden blow or stoppage, which is what gives the labor sense its force.

Synonyms: hitters, players, attackers, participants, workers

Antonyms: defenders, opponents, non-participants, bystanders, observers