stroke
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /stɹəʊk/
enpr: strōk
ipa: /stɹoʊk/
note: Local Dublin
ipa: /stɹʌok/
note: Local Dublin
ipa: /stɾʌok/
rhymes: -əʊk
Forms: form: strokes
form: stroking
form: stroked
form: stroked
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: stroke
form: stroke
form: stroked
form: stroke
form: strokest
form: stroked
form: strokedst
form: strokes
form: stroketh
form: stroked
form: stroke
form: stroked
form: stroke
form: stroked
form: stroke
form: -
form: stroking
form: stroked
Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English stroken, straken (“to caress, fondle, pat, rub, smooth, stroke; to pass something over (someone or something); to brush or rub against;”) [and other forms], from Old English strācian (“to stroke”), from Proto-West Germanic *straikōn (“to caress, stroke”), from *straik (“a line, stroke; a dash”) (see further at etymology 1) + *-ōn (suffix forming verbs from nouns).
The noun is derived from the verb.
Cognates
* German streicheln (“to stroke, fondle”)
* German Low German straken, strieken, strakeln, striekeln (“to stroke; caress; fondle”)
* Middle Low German strēken, Middle Dutch strēken (modern Dutch streeken)
* Old High German strīhhan, streihhōn, Middle High German strīchen (modern German streichen (“to stroke; to rub; to spread; to apply; to paint; to cancel; to cross out, strike out; to delete; to discard”))
* Saterland Frisian strookje (“to stroke; caress”)
* West Frisian streakje (“to stroke; caress”)
Senses: examples: text: His Majestie began first to touch for yᵉ evil, according to custome, thus: his Maᵗⁱᵉ sitting under his State in yᵉ Banquetting House, the Chirurgeons cause the sick to be brought or led up to the throne, where they kneeling, yᵉ King strokes their faces or cheekes with both his hands at once, at which instant a Chaplaine in his formalities says, "He put his hands upon them and he healed them."
ref: 1660 July 16 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 6 July 1660]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, pages 323–324:
text: The tender Sire, vvho ſavv her bluſh, and cry, / Aſcrib'd it all to Maiden-modeſty, / And dry'd the falling Drops, and yet more kind, / He ſtroak'd her Cheeks, and holy Kiſſes join'd.
ref: 1700, [John] Dryden, “Cinyras and Myrrha, out of the Tenth Book of Ovid’s Metamorphosis”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 177:
text: The gravity and firmneſs of the mind is conſpicuous in his outvvard demeanor: his ſpeech is ſlovv, vveighty, and conciſe, he is ſeldom provoked to laughter, his only geſture is that of ſtroking his beard, the venerable ſymbol of manhood; and the ſenſe of his ovvn importance teaches him to accoſt his equals vvithout levity, and his ſuperiors vvithout avve.
ref: 1788, Edward Gibbon, “Description of Arabia and Its Inhabitants. […]”, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume V, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 183:
text: It [the guinea pig] ſtrokes its head vvith the fore feet like the rabbit; and, like it, ſits upon the hind feet; […]
ref: 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Animals of the Hare Kind. [The Guinea-pig.]”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume IV, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 53:
text: Softly she stroked the carpet with the palms of her hands. "Happy carpet!" she crooned. "Aye, happy the very women that wove the threads that are trod by the feet of my beloved master.[…]"
ref: 1911 October 26, Max Beerbohm, chapter XVI, in Zuleika Dobson, or, An Oxford Love Story, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: John Lane Company, published 1912, →OCLC, page 248:
glosses: To move one's hand or an object (such as a broom or brush) along (a surface) in one direction, touching it lightly; to caress.
glosses: To move one's hand or an object (such as a broom or brush) along (a surface) in one direction, touching it lightly; to caress.
To masturbate.
glosses: To bring (something) to a certain condition by stroking (sense 1).
examples: text: [W]hen thou cam'ſt firſt / Thou ſtroakſt me, & made much of me: […]
ref: 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 4, column 2:
topics: human-sciences
medicine
psychoanalysis
psychology
sciences
glosses: To give assurance to (someone) through encouragement.
topics: government
politics
glosses: To influence (someone) by convincing or flattering them.
topics: agriculture
business
lifestyle
glosses: To milk (a cow or other animal); especially, to squeeze the teat of (a cow, etc.) to extract the last bit of milk from the udder; to strap (dialectal), to strip.
topics: business
construction
manufacturing
masonry
glosses: To give a finely fluted surface to (stone) by carving it with a tool.
glosses: To sharpen (a knife or other cutting instrument) by honing or rubbing it against a surface.
glosses: To soothe (someone); also, to flatter or indulge (someone).
Derived terms: word: restroke
word: strokable
word: strokeable
word: stroked
word: stroker
word: unstroked