"make bare," early 13c., from Old English -striepan, -strypan "to plunder, despoil" (as in West Saxon bestrypan "to plunder"), from Proto-Germanic *straupijan (source also of Middle Dutch stropen "to strip off, to ramble about plundering," Old High German stroufen "to strip off, plunder," German streifen "strip off, touch upon, to ramble, roam, rove"). Meaning "to unclothe" is recorded from early 13c. Intransitive sense from late 14c. Of screw threads, from 1839; of gear wheels, from 1873. Meaning "perform a strip-tease" is from 1929. Related: Stripped; stripping. Strip poker is attested from 1916, in a joke in The Technology Monthly and Harvard Engineering Journal:

"Say, Bill how, did the game come out?"

"It ended in a tie."

"Oh, were you playing strip poker?"

Strip search is from 1947, in reference to World War II prison camps.

"long, narrow, flat piece," mid-15c., "narrow piece of cloth," probably related to or from Middle Low German strippe "strap, thong," and from the same source as stripe (n.1). Sense extension to wood, land, etc. first recorded 1630s.

Sense in comic strip is from 1920. Airport sense is from 1936; race track sense from 1941. Meaning "street noted for clubs, bars, etc." is attested from 1939, originally in reference to Los Angeles' Sunset Strip. Strip mine (n.) attested by 1892, as a verb by 1916; so called because the surface material is removed in successive parallel strips.

also filmstrip, 1930, from film (n.) + strip (n.).

"border or weather-guard affixed to the edge of a door, fitting tightly against the casing when it is closed," 1849, from door + strip (n.).

also striptease, 1936, perhaps a back-formation from stripteaser (1930); see strip (v.) + tease (n.). Strip (v.) and tease (v.) both were used in this sense in late 1920s. Life magazine used strippeuse (1938-40).

1580s, transitive, "person who strips" (the bark off trees, etc.), agent noun from strip (v.). Meaning "machine or appliance for stripping" is from 1835. Sense of "strip-tease dancer" is from 1930 (see strip-tease). Meaning "chemical for removing paint" is from 1937.

also air-strip, a runway for aircraft, typically one without an air base or airport, 1942, from air (n.1) meaning "aircraft" + strip (n.).

1570s, "to pass in running," originally in Lyly, perhaps from out- + Middle English strip "move quickly, make a stroke" (in reference to a weapon). c. 1400, a word of uncertain origin, perhaps from stripe (n.). Or outstrip might be a corruption of outstrike (15c.), from strike (v.) in the old sense of "go, proceed, advance." The figurative sense of "to excel or surpass in anything" is from 1590s. Related: Outstripped; outstripping. The punning references to strip (v.) date from late 19c.

The abridged petticoats of the ladies proceeded, no doubt, to an intolerable pitch; and they tried, as Byron said, to outstrip one another. [W. Carew Hazlitt, "Four Generations of a Literary Family," 1897, referring to Henry James Byron, the dramatist and the author's friend, not Lord Byron, the poet]

1530s in the literal sense of "to strip (a sheep) of fleece," from fleece (n.). From 1570s in the figurative meaning "to cheat, swindle, strip of money." Related: Fleeced; fleecer; fleecing.

1560s, devest (modern spelling is c. 1600), "strip of possessions," from French devester "strip of possessions" (Old French desvestir), from des- "away" (see dis-) + vestir "to clothe," from Latin vestire "to clothe" (from PIE *wes- (2) "to clothe," extended form of root *eu- "to dress").

The etymological sense of "strip of clothes, arms, or equipage" is from 1580s. Meaning "strip by some definite or legal process" is from 1570s. Economic sense "sell off (a subsidiary company, later an investment) is by 1961. Related: Divested; divesting.