stroke

[ strohk ]

/ stroʊk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR stroke ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or an instance of striking, as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer; a blow.

a hitting of or upon anything.

a striking of a clapper or hammer, as on a bell.

the sound produced by this.

a throb or pulsation, as of the heart.

Also called apoplexy, cerebrovascular accident. Pathology. a blockage or hemorrhage of a blood vessel leading to the brain, causing inadequate oxygen supply and, depending on the extent and location of the abnormality, such symptoms as weakness, paralysis of parts of the body, speech difficulties, and, if severe, loss of consciousness or death.

something likened to a blow in its effect, as in causing pain, injury, or death; an attack of apoplexy or paralysis.

a destructive discharge of lightning.

a vigorous movement, as if in dealing a blow.

Sports. a hitting of a ball, as by the swing of a racquet in tennis or the controlled jabbing or thrusting with the cue in pool and billiards.

a single complete movement, especially one continuously repeated in some process.

Machinery.

one of a series of alternating continuous movements of something back and forth over or through the same line.
the complete movement of a moving part, especially a reciprocating part, in one direction.
the distance traversed in such a movement.
a half revolution of an engine during which the piston travels from one extreme of its range to the other.

Swimming.

a type or method of swimming: The crawl is a rapid stroke.
each of the successive movements of the arms and legs in propelling the body through the water.

Rowing.

a single pull of the oar.
the manner or style of moving the oars.
Also called stroke oar. the crew member nearest to the stern of the boat, to whose strokes those of the other crew members must conform.

a movement of a pen, pencil, brush, graver, or the like.

a mark traced by or as if by one movement of a pen, pencil, brush, or the like.

a distinctive or effective touch in a literary composition: His style revealed the stroke of a master.

a single or minimal act, piece, or amount of work, activity, etc.: to refuse to do a stroke of work.

an attempt to attain some object: a bold stroke for liberty.

a measure adopted for a particular purpose.

a keystroke: no more than 65 strokes to the line for business letters.

a feat or achievement: a stroke of genius.

a sudden or chance happening, as of luck or fortune.

verb (used with object), stroked, strok·ing.

to mark with a stroke or strokes, as of a pen; cancel, as by a stroke of a pen.

Rowing.

to row as a stroke oar of (a boat or crew).
to set the stroke for the crew of (a boat).

Sports. to hit (a ball), as with a deliberate, smooth swing of a bat or club.

Origin of stroke

1250–1300; Middle English strok, strak (noun), probably continuing Old English *strāc (whence strācian to stroke²); cognate with German Streich; akin to strike

SYNONYMS FOR stroke

1 rap, tap, knock, pat.

5 beat, thump; rhythm.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR stroke ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for stroke

1, 7. See blow¹.

Words nearby stroke

strobotron, strode, stroessner, stroganoff, stroheim, stroke, stroke hole, stroke oar, stroke play, stroke volume, stroke work index

Definition for stroke (2 of 3)

stroke ²

[ strohk ]

/ stroʊk /

verb (used with object), stroked, strok·ing.

to pass the hand or an instrument over (something or somebody) lightly or with little pressure; rub gently, as in soothing or caressing.

Informal. to promote feelings of self-approval in; flatter.

noun

an act or instance of stroking; a stroking movement.

Origin of stroke

before 900; Middle English stroken (v.), Old English strācian; cognate with German streichen; akin to strike

Definition for stroke (3 of 3)

virgule

[ vur-gyool ]

/ ˈvɜr gyul /

noun

a short oblique stroke (/) between two words indicating that whichever is appropriate may be chosen to complete the sense of the text in which they occur: The defendant and his/her attorney must appear in court.

a dividing line, as in dates, fractions, a run-in passage of poetry to show verse division, etc.: 3/21/27; “Sweetest love, I do not go/For weariness of thee.” (John Donne)

a short oblique stroke (/) used in computing; a forward slash.

Also called diagonal, separatrix, shilling mark, slant, slash, solidus; especially British stroke.

Origin of virgule

1830–40; < French virgule comma, little rod < Latin virgula; see virgulate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH virgule

backslash forward slash virgule

Example sentences from the Web for stroke

With every stroke, her leather boot creaked under the weight of her leg.

Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau |Ian Frisch |December 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And finally, when you ask for your car, your dress, whatever it is you want, stroke his hand.

Russia’s Gold Digger Academy |Peter Pomerantsev |November 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In a stroke of genius, he enlisted Bundy to vouch for him on tape.

Cliven Bundy’s Brokeback Mountain Moment |Olivia Nuzzi |October 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He would pull her toward him, hug her, kiss her, and stroke her hair.

It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine |Alex Suskind |October 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

“Ayatollah Khomeini had a stroke in 1986 and became comatose,” says Khalaji.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s Cancer Scare |IranWire |September 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
To accomplish this stroke it was necessary to travel forty leagues along the sea coast.

The Great Company |Beckles Willson
The sea, also, at every stroke of the oar shone as with the light of myriads of glowworms.

Louis Spohr's Autobiography |Louis Spohr
The League, furious at this stroke of policy, tried to impose a council of thirty-six advisers upon the king.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 7 |Various
When the patient was five years old the father died suddenly from a stroke, at the age of forty-two.

Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology |C. G. Jung
He stands shoulder to shoulder with his suffering brothers, and makes his stroke for liberty.

The Tyranny of Tears |Charles Haddon Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for stroke (1 of 2)

stroke

/ (strəʊk) /

noun

the act or an instance of striking; a blow, knock, or hit

a sudden action, movement, or occurrence a stroke of luck

a brilliant or inspired act or feat a stroke of genius

pathol apoplexy; rupture of a blood vessel in the brain resulting in loss of consciousness, often followed by paralysis, or embolism or thrombosis affecting a cerebral vessel

the striking of a clock
the hour registered by the striking of a clockon the stroke of three

a mark, flourish, or line made by a writing implement

another name for solidus, used esp when dictating or reading aloud

a light touch or caress, as with the fingers

a pulsation, esp of the heart

a single complete movement or one of a series of complete movements

sport the act or manner of striking the ball with a racket, club, bat, etc

any one of the repeated movements used by a swimmer to propel himself through the water

a manner of swimming, esp one of several named styles such as the crawl or butterfly

any one of a series of linear movements of a reciprocating part, such as a piston
the distance travelled by such a part from one end of its movement to the other

a single pull on an oar or oars in rowing

manner or style of rowing

the oarsman who sits nearest the stern of a shell, facing the cox, and sets the rate of striking for the rest of the crew

US informal a compliment or comment that enhances a person's self-esteem

(modifier) slang, mainly US pornographic; masturbatory stroke magazines

a stroke or a stroke of work (usually used with a negative) a small amount of work

off one's stroke performing or working less well than usual

on the stroke of punctually at

verb

(tr) to touch, brush, or caress lightly or gently

(tr) to mark a line or a stroke on or through

to act as the stroke of (a racing shell)

(tr) sport to strike (a ball) with a smooth swinging blow

(tr) US and Canadian informal to handle or influence (someone) with care, using persuasion, flattery, etc

Word Origin for stroke

Old English strācian; related to Middle Low German strēken; see strike

British Dictionary definitions for stroke (2 of 2)

virgule

/ (ˈvɜːɡjuːl) /

noun

printing another name for solidus

Word Origin for virgule

C19: from French: comma, from Latin virgula a little rod, from virga rod

Medical definitions for stroke

stroke

[ strōk ]

n.

A sudden severe attack, as of paralysis or sunstroke.

A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel to the brain, resulting in necrosis of brain tissue and characterized by loss of muscular control, diminution or loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of brain damage. cerebral accident cerebral infarction cerebrovascular accident

Scientific definitions for stroke

stroke

[ strōk ]

A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel of the brain, resulting in necrosis of brain tissue (called a cerebral infarct) and characterized by loss of muscular control, weakening or loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of brain damage. Also called cerebrovascular accident

Cultural definitions for stroke

stroke

A sudden loss of brain function caused by an interruption in the supply of blood to the brain. A ruptured blood vessel or cerebral thrombosis may cause the stroke, which can occur in varying degrees of severity from temporary paralysis and slurred speech to permanent brain damage and death.

Idioms and Phrases with stroke

stroke

see at one stroke; no accounting for taste (different strokes for different folks); put one off one's stride (stroke).

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stroke

noun

verb (used with object), stroked, strok·ing.

Origin of stroke

SYNONYMS FOR stroke

synonym study for stroke

Words nearby stroke

Definition for stroke (2 of 3)

verb (used with object), stroked, strok·ing.

noun

Origin of stroke

Definition for stroke (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of virgule

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH virgule

Example sentences from the Web for stroke

British Dictionary definitions for stroke (1 of 2)

noun

verb

Word Origin for stroke

British Dictionary definitions for stroke (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for virgule

Medical definitions for stroke

n.

Scientific definitions for stroke

Cultural definitions for stroke

Idioms and Phrases with stroke

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stroke

noun

verb (used with object), stroked, strok·ing.

Origin of stroke

SYNONYMS FOR stroke

synonym study for stroke

Words nearby stroke

Definition for stroke (2 of 3)

verb (used with object), stroked, strok·ing.

noun

Origin of stroke

Definition for stroke (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of virgule

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH virgule

Words related to stroke

Example sentences from the Web for stroke

British Dictionary definitions for stroke (1 of 2)

noun

verb

Word Origin for stroke

British Dictionary definitions for stroke (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for virgule

Medical definitions for stroke

n.

Scientific definitions for stroke

Cultural definitions for stroke

Idioms and Phrases with stroke