stroke
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: arts
automotive
ball-games
calligraphy
communications
computing
cricket
engineering
entertainment
games
golf
government
hobbies
human-sciences
journalism
lifestyle
linguistics
literature
martial-arts
mathematics
media
medicine
military
music
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
politics
professional-wrestling
publishing
rowing
sciences
sports
squash
swimming
technology
tennis
transport
typography
vehicles
war
wrestling
writing
Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English strok, stroke (“blow from a weapon, cut”), from Old English strāc, from Proto-West Germanic *straik, from Proto-Germanic *straikaz (“stroke”), from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“to rub, stroke; to shear; to strike”).
Sense 3.6.2.2 (“the oblique, slash, or virgule (‘/’)”) is a contraction of oblique stroke, a variant of oblique which was originally used in telegraphy.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Cognates
* German Streich (“stroke”)
* Middle Low German strēk (“stroke, trick, prank”)
* Scots strak, strake, straik (“blow, stroke”)
Inflected forms:
form: strokes
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: stroak
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: strokes
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: stroking
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: stroked
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: stroked
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
examples: a stroke on the chin
Hee paſſed the vvhole length of Italie vvithout reſiſtance, […] He likevviſe entred and vvonne (in effect) the vvhole Kingdome of Naples it ſelfe, vvithout ſtriking ſtroke.
But becauſe amongſt many ſtroaks, vvhich our eyes, eares, and other organs receive from external bodies, the predominant onely is ſenſible; therefore the light of the Sun being predominant, vve are not affected vvith the action of the ſtarrs.
[A]fter the impulſive force, vvhich drove them upvvard, grevv languid, nor vvas there any other ſtroak, vvhich might toſſe them that vvay, the Atoms themſelves, endeavouring to go dovvn again, met vvith obſacles from others, vvhereupon they flevv about vvith greater activity, […]
With many a wanton stroke / Her feet disperse the powd'ry snow / That rises up like smoke.
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
examples: Singapore plans to cane scammers and scam mules, with mandatory caning of at least six strokes for scammers and discretionary caning for mules.
Their mightie ſtrokes their haberieons diſmayld, / And naked made each others manly ſpalles; […]
No Perſon vvas puniſhed by Bonds, Strokes, or Death, vvithout the Judgment and Sentence of the Druids: […]
Side by side they fought (the Lucies / Were a line for valour fam'd) / And where'er their strokes alighted / There the Saracens were tam'd.
When this idea intruded on the train of romantic visions which agitated him, it was like the sharp stroke of the harpoon, which awakens the whale from torpidity into violent action.
The men who held the ropes were French soldiers, and by broken Italian phrases and strokes from the knotted end of a rope, they from time to time stimulated their prisoners to beg.
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
examples: [W]hen a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor, to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a ſtroke with the axe to cut downe the tree, and the head ſlippeth from the helue, and lighteth vpon his neighbour that he die, he ſhall flee vnto one of thoſe cities, and liue: […]
VVith lifted Arms they order ev'ry Blovv, / And chime their ſounding Hammers in a Rovv; / VVith ſtrokes of Anvils Ætna groans belovv.
But now no stroke of woodman / Is heard by Auser's rill; […]
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
examples: on the stroke of midnight
Expect the second [ghost] on the next night at the same hour. The third upon the next night when the last stroke of twelve has ceased to vibrate. Look to see me no more; and look that, for your own sake, you remember what has passed between us!
Already guarding a 1–0 lead from the first leg, Blackpool inched further ahead when Stephen Dobbie scored from an acute angle on the stroke of half-time. The game appeared to be completely beyond Birmingham's reach three minutes into the second period when Matt Phillips reacted quickly to bundle the ball past Colin Doyle and off a post.
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
gloss: An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
pos: noun
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
examples: the stroke of a bird’s wing in flying
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
tags: broadly
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
examples: butterfly stroke
Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern.
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
examples: [I]n true marriage lies / Nor equal, nor unequal: each fulfils / Defect in each, and always thought in thought, / Purpose in purpose, will in will, they grow, / The single pure and perfect animal, / The two-cell'd heart beating, with one full stroke / Life.
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
examples: For the pistons of a four-stroke engine, the exhaust stroke follows the power stroke.
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
examples: The bore times the stroke times the number of cylinders equals displacement.
gloss: A movement similar to that of hitting.
pos: noun
gloss: An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: the stroke of death
The stroke of God, Aduersyte I hyght; / I pluke downe kynge, prynce, lorde, and knyght, / I rushe at them rughly, and make them ly full lowe, / And in theyr moste truste i make them ouerthrowe.
Sheele make you ſhrinke as I did, vvith a ſtroke / But of her eye Tigranes.
So judg'd he Man, both Judge and Saviour ſent, / And th' inſtant ſtroke of Death denounc'd that day / Remov'd farr off; […]
[H]ovv the royal Bard did groaning lye, / Beneath the ſtroke of Heaven's avenging ire; […]
The Professor, treating the murderous assault upon him by Juan Manuel Harispe very lightly, and regarding it simply as a significant point d'arrêt to his gallantries towards Manuelita, not to be passed over in its portents any more than the first stroke of disease which attacks thrice before it kills, limited his arrangement of precautionary measures to giving Señor Harispe, his niece, and his establishment a very wide berth; […]
gloss: A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: The Abp. [Archbishop] of York [John Dolben] now died of yᵉ small pox, aged 62, a corpulent man. […] I looke on this as a greate stroke to yᵉ poore Church of England, now in this defecting period.
T'encreaſe this load, ſome ſycophant-report / Deſtroy'd his int'reſt and good grace at court. / At this one ſtroke the man look'd dead in lavv: / His flatt'rers ſcamper, and his friends vvithdravv.
Tom's whole soul was filled with thoughts of eternity; and while he ministered around the lifeless clay, he did not once think that the sudden stroke had left him in hopeless slavery.
gloss: An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: a stroke of business
["]But I'm gwine, Mas'r George,—gwine to have four dollars a week; and Missis is gwine to lay it all up, to buy back my old man agin!" / "Whew!" said George, "here's a stroke of business, to be sure! How are you going [to Louisville]?"
gloss: A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done or produced; also, something accomplished by such an effort; an achievement, a feat.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: a stroke of genius
gloss: A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: Among other branches of ſcience, if one can call it ſo, Mr. [John] Evelyn ſtudied Phyſiognomy, and found diſſimulation, boldneſs, cruelty and ambition in every touch and ſtroke of [Isaac] Fuller's picture of Oliver Cromvvell's face, vvhich he ſays, vvas the moſt reſembling portrait of the Protector.
gloss: A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
gloss: A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
gloss: A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
pos: noun
tags: Commonwealth
Ireland
UK
figuratively
examples: Subject: Fire. Dear Sir-stroke-Madam: I am writing to inform you of a fire which has broken out at the premises of … No. That's too formal.
gloss: A distinctive expression in a written composition; a touch.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: to give some finishing strokes to an essay
gloss: Influence; power.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
figuratively
examples: [W]here ſoeuer poſſeſſyons be pryuate, where moneye beareth all the ſtroke, it is hard and almoſte impoſſyble that there the weale publyque maye iuſtelye be gouerned and proſperouſlye floryſhe: […]
Theſame Alexander, be auiſed and coũſailed, that he ſhould winne and make frendes vnto him, all ſuche perſones both honeſt and vnhoneſt, good and badde, as beare any rule, ſtroke or autoritte, in the commen weale, and that the good men he ſhould vſe, and the euil perſones he ſhould abuſe, that is to ſaie, applie to ſome good vſe, that of theimſelfes they are not apte nor inclined vnto.
For I find by Experience he has a great Stroke vvith the Reader, vvhen he condemns any of my Poems to make the VVorld have a better Opinion of them.
Just somebody with a low lottery number, not enough stroke to get in the National Guard, and a distaste for tropical climates.
gloss: Influence; power.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
figuratively
gloss: A masterful or effective action.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: To enable any other piece to effect the decisive stroke, a greater number of facilities, arising either from the coöperation of partisans, or the obstruction of the adverse king by his own pieces, must conspire in proportion to the assailant's class.
Black gives the opponent and opportunity for a beautiful combination stroke. But his game was anyhow very bad already, for in answer to QR—R sq., which was about his only other alternative, White would have replied Kt—R5 with an irresistible attack.
gloss: A sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing minor to major brain damage and possible death.
pos: noun
examples: suffer a stroke
gloss: An individual discharge of lightning, particularly if causing damage.
pos: noun
examples: A flash of lightning may be made up of several strokes. If they are separated by enough time for the eye to distinguish them, the lightning will appear to flicker.
gloss: An individual social interaction whereby one gives another attention or recognition.
pos: noun
examples: Being gay and in prison is a very lonely experience. I would like to get some gay contacts on the outside that could give me some positive strokes.
gloss: The effect or result of a striking; affliction or injury; a bruise or wound; soreness.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: Moreover the light of the Moone ſhalbe as the light of the Sunne, and the light of the Sunne ſhall be ſeuenfold, as the light of ſeuen dayes, in the day that the Lord bindeth vp the breach of his people, and healeth the ſtroke of their wound.
gloss: Chiefly in to have a good stroke: appetite.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: [N]either can any man be entertain'd as a Soldier, that has not a greater ſtroke than ordinary at eating: for by this they judge of his ſtrength and conſtitution.
Lady Answ[erall]. God bleſs you, Colonel; you have a good Stroke vvith you. / Col[onel Atwit]. O Madam; formerly I could eat all, but novv I leave nothing; I eat but one Meal a Day.
Rooks are said to be fattest when food is scarcest, as they "owereat thorsels" when they have too much food. The same is said of lean children who have a good stroke (appetite).
It distressed him, Joe said, to see them feeding like animals, without delicacy. Joe had a good stroke himself, but naturally not as good an appetite as he would have if he was doing anything.
It was said of him that he had a good stroke which simply meant in the everyday idiom of the place that he was possessed of a healthy appetite.
gloss: A sudden attack of any illness, especially if causing loss of consciousness or movement, or when fatal.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: a stroke of apoplexy
gloss: A bow or pluck of a string or strings of a stringed instrument; also, the manner in which a musical instrument is played; hence, a melody, a tune.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: Or can he desire a nobler or a fuller Argument either for the softest Aires or the loudest Echoes, for the smoothest or briskest strokes of his Pindaric Lyre?
gloss: To draw the horizontal line across the upright part (of the letter t).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: Followed by out or through: to draw a line or lines through (text) to indicate that it is deleted; to cancel, to strike or strike out.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: Of a bell or clock: to chime or sound to indicate (the hour, the time, etc.).
pos: verb
tags: poetic
rare
transitive
gloss: To mark (something) with lines or stripes; to stripe.
pos: verb
tags: rare
transitive
gloss: To hit or kick (the ball) with a flowing or smooth motion; also, to score (a goal, a point, etc.) by doing so.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: Of a rower or a crew: to row at (a rate of a certain number of strokes (“movements of the oar through water”) per minute).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: To act as the stroke (“rower who is nearest the stern of the boat, the movement of whose oar sets the rowing rhythm for the other rowers”) of (a boat or its crew).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: to stroke a boat
gloss: To strike (the water) with one's arms and legs when swimming.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: To lengthen the stroke of (an engine) by installing a crankshaft with longer throws.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Yes, it's 'only' a small block, but it’s got some tricks up its sleeve — it's been bored, stroked, ported, polished, and fuel-injected.
gloss: To depict (something) with a paintbrush.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
transitive
gloss: Chiefly followed by out: to suffer loss of brain function when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted; to have a stroke (noun sense 4).
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
gloss: To swim by making co-ordinated movements with the arms and legs.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
Derived words: afterstroke
after-stroke
antistroke
at a single stroke
at a stroke
at one stroke
backstroke
bloodstroke
bow stroke
breast-stroke
breaststroke
broad strokes
brushstroke
butterfly stroke
buttstroke
by-stroke
counterstroke
crossstroke
dead-stroke
dead stroke
dead-stroke hammer
destroke
different strokes for different folks
downstroke
down to the short strokes
exhaust stroke
forestroke
forward stroke
four-stroke
four-stroke engine
frontstroke
full stroke seek time
government stroke
grace stroke
groundstroke
ground-stroke
hair stroke
handstroke
handystroke
headstroke
heat stroke
heatstroke
hemorrhagic stroke
in one stroke
instroke
interstroke
J stroke
J-stroke
keystroke
lightning stroke
master stroke
masterstroke
microstroke
midstroke
mini-stroke
mini stroke
ministroke
multistroke
oblique stroke
on the stroke of
outstroke
pedal stroke
penalty stroke
penstroke
poststroke
power stroke
rest stroke
return stroke
saw stroke
shame-stroke
Sheffer stroke
short strokes
sidestroke
spot stroke
strike a stroke
Stroke Alley
Stroke Belt
Stroke City
stroke hole
strokeless
strokelet
strokelike
strokemaker
strokeman
strokemaster
stroke oar
stroke of business
stroke of fortune
stroke of genius
stroke of luck
stroke of work
stroke order
stroke play
strokesman
strokeswoman
stroketomics
stroke volume
stroky
sunstroke
telestroke
the stroke that broke the camel's back
thumbstroke
thunderstroke
Trudgen stroke
trudgen stroke
two-stroke
two-stroke engine
umstroke
understroke
upstroke
wingstroke
misstroke
prestroke
strokee
stroke out
strokingly
Translations:
lang: Arabic
word: ضَرْبَة
roman: ḍarba
lang: Armenian
word: հարված
roman: harvac
lang: Azerbaijani
word: zərbə
lang: Azerbaijani
word: vuruş
lang: Belarusian
word: уда́р
roman: udár
lang: Bulgarian
word: у́дар
roman: údar
lang: Catalan
word: cop
lang: Czech
word: úder
lang: Danish
word: slag
lang: Dutch
word: klap
lang: Esperanto
word: frapo
lang: Esperanto
word: bato
lang: Finnish
word: isku
lang: Finnish
word: lyönti
lang: French
word: coup
lang: Galician
word: golpe
lang: Galician
word: pancada
lang: Galician
word: zoupada
lang: Galician
word: trambullón
lang: Galician
word: tordeón
lang: Galician
word: tombo
lang: Galician
word: mocazo
lang: Galician
word: lapote
lang: German
word: Schlag
lang: German
word: Hieb
lang: Ancient Greek
word: κροῦμα
roman: kroûma
lang: Ancient Greek
word: πληγή
roman: plēgḗ
lang: Ido
word: frapo
lang: Irish
word: béim
lang: Italian
word: colpo
lang: Latin
word: plāga
lang: Macedonian
word: удар
roman: udar
lang: Māori
word: tarawete
lang: Māori
word: maka
lang: Māori
word: whakapānga
lang: Norwegian
word: slag
lang: Polish
word: cios
lang: Portuguese
word: pancada
lang: Portuguese
word: ataque
lang: Russian
word: уда́р
roman: udár
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: beum
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: bualadh
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: buille
lang: Spanish
word: golpe
lang: Swedish
word: slag
lang: Ukrainian
word: уда́р
roman: udár
lang: Welsh
word: arfod
lang: Welsh
word: ergyd
lang: Yiddish
word: קלאַפּ
roman: klap
lang: Finnish
word: isku
lang: Finnish
word: siivenisku
lang: Finnish
word: veto
lang: Spanish
word: trazo
lang: Arabic
word: خَطّ
roman: ḵaṭṭ
lang: Belarusian
word: ры́са
roman: rýsa
lang: Belarusian
word: чырта́
roman: čyrtá
lang: Belarusian
word: штрых
roman: štryx
lang: Bulgarian
word: щрих
roman: štrih
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 線 /线
roman: xiàn
lang: Czech
word: tah
lang: Danish
word: streg
lang: Dutch
word: streek
lang: Finnish
word: piirto
lang: Finnish
word: veto
lang: French
word: trait
lang: German
word: Strich
lang: German
word: Federstrich
lang: German
word: Zug
lang: Gothic
word: 𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃
roman: striks
lang: Hungarian
word: vonás
lang: Italian
word: tratto
lang: Luxembourgish
word: Stréch
lang: Polish
word: kreska
lang: Portuguese
word: traço
lang: Russian
word: штрих
roman: štrix
lang: Russian
word: черта́
roman: čertá
lang: Spanish
word: trazo
lang: Swedish
word: streck
lang: Swedish
word: drag
lang: Ukrainian
word: ри́са
roman: rýsa
lang: Ukrainian
word: штрих
roman: štryx
lang: Volapük
word: penaliun
lang: Volapük
word: penamaliun
lang: Armenian
word: հարված
roman: harvac
lang: Bulgarian
word: мазка
roman: mazka
lang: Czech
word: tah
lang: Danish
word: strøg
lang: Dutch
word: streek
lang: Finnish
word: veto
lang: German
word: Strich
lang: Hungarian
word: vonás
lang: Italian
word: pennellata
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: strøk
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: strøk
lang: Polish
word: pociągnięcie
lang: Portuguese
word: pincelada
lang: Russian
word: мазо́к
roman: mazók
lang: Spanish
word: pincelada
lang: Spanish
word: brochazo
lang: Spanish
word: brochada
lang: Swedish
word: drag