What is the Latin word for strike?

The usual Latin words for “strike” are moveō, cōnspiciō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“strike” in Latin

moveōto move, stir, set in motion; to disturb, shake, remove; to arouse, excite, promote, produce cōnspiciōto see, watch, observe, perceive, catch sight of, look at with admiration or close attention, gaze upon, contemplate, be

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

strike

Transitively, PROP., pulsare aliquid aliqua re: percutere aliquid aliqua re. To strike one’s head against the wall, caput illidere or impingere parieti (with a murderous intention from despair). To strike the lyre, pulsare chordas lyrae (†). To strike with fists, aliquem pugnis caedere; aliquem colaphis pulsare; with a club, aliquem fusti verberare; fusti in aliquem animadvertere; aliquem verberibus caedere, or in aliquem verberibus animadvertere. “To strike anything home” [Vid. HOME, adverb]. To strike with the fist and on the face, alicujus os manu pulsare; pugnum alicui impingere in os: to strike with the flat of the hand on the cheek, alicui alapam ducere: to strike with a stick, aliquem or aliquid petere baculo: struck by lightning, fulmine ictus, percussus (Cic.); ictu fulminis attactus (of trees, inscription); de caelo percussus (e.g. turres, Cic.): to be struck dead by lightning, ictu fulminis deflagrare (Cic.; of Phaeton).

PHR., To strike sail, vela subducere demittereque antennas (PROP.); to anybody, *velis subductis se victum tradere alicui (PROP.); cedere alicui (IMPROP.). To strike a balance, conferre, conficere rationes: to strike a bargain with anybody, pacisci cum aliquo; pactionem facere or conficere cum aliquo (☞ not convenire cum aliquo; but we may say, res convenit mihi cum aliquo; convenimus inter nos). To strike fire, ignem elidere e silice; ignem silici excudere (Vid: Verg., Georg., 1, 135).

To strike (=coin), percutere numos (e.g., with this impression, hac nota; post-Augustan, in this sense).

Figuratively, (a) To surprise by novelty: a thing strikes me, moveor or commoveor re; percutit aliquid animum meum (produces a sudden and powerful expression): res habet aliquid offensionis (is offensive).

(b) (b) To appear unusual, esse notabilem (to be remarkable; of persons and things): conspici, conspicuum esse (to attract the attention; of persons and things; Vid: Bremi, Nep., Att., 13, 5, and Suet., Oct., 45).

Intransitively, (Of a clock), *indicare horas.

To cease from working, opere faciundo cessare; nolle operam suam mercede collocare.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for strike?: The usual Latin words for “strike” are moveō, cōnspiciō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.