stroke

Meaning

Noun

1. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
2. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
3. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
4. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
5. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
6. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
7. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
8. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
9. A movement similar to that of hitting.
10. A movement similar to that of hitting.
11. (broadly) A movement similar to that of hitting.
12. A movement similar to that of hitting.
13. A movement similar to that of hitting.
14. A movement similar to that of hitting.
15. (broadly) A movement similar to that of hitting.
16. (figuratively) An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
17. (figuratively) A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
18. (figuratively) An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
19. (figuratively) A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done or produced; also, something accomplished by such an effort; an achievement, a feat.
20. (figuratively) A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
21. (figuratively) A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
22. (figuratively) A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
23. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, figuratively) A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
24. (figuratively) A distinctive expression in a written composition; a touch.
25. (archaic, figuratively) Influence; power.
26. (archaic, figuratively) Influence; power.
27. (figuratively) A masterful or effective action.
28. A sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing minor to major brain damage and possible death.
29. An individual discharge of lightning, particularly if causing damage.
30. An individual social interaction whereby one gives another attention or recognition.
31. (obsolete) The effect or result of a striking; affliction or injury; a bruise or wound; soreness.
32. (obsolete) Chiefly in to have a good stroke: appetite.
33. (obsolete) A sudden attack of any illness, especially if causing loss of consciousness or movement, or when fatal.
34. (obsolete) 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.

Verb

1. (transitive) To draw the horizontal line across the upright part (of the letter t).
2. (transitive) 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.
3. (poetic, rare, transitive) Of a bell or clock: to chime or sound to indicate (the hour, the time, etc.).
4. (rare, transitive) To mark (something) with lines or stripes; to stripe.
5. (transitive) To hit or kick (the ball) with a flowing or smooth motion; also, to score (a goal, a point, etc.) by doing so.
6. (transitive) 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).
7. (transitive) 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).
8. (transitive) To strike (the water) with one's arms and legs when swimming.
9. (obsolete, transitive) To depict (something) with a paintbrush.
10. (intransitive) 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).
11. (intransitive) To swim by making co-ordinated movements with the arms and legs.

Verb

1. (transitive) 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.
2. (broadly, intransitive, transitive, uncommon, vulgar) 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.
3. (also, figuratively, transitive) To bring (something) to a certain condition by stroking (sense 1).
4. (especially, figuratively, transitive) To give assurance to (someone) through encouragement.
5. (US, broadly, figuratively, transitive) To influence (someone) by convincing or flattering them.
6. (transitive) 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.
7. (transitive) To give a finely fluted surface to (stone) by carving it with a tool.
8. (obsolete, transitive) To sharpen (a knife or other cutting instrument) by honing or rubbing it against a surface.
9. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To soothe (someone); also, to flatter or indulge (someone).

Synonyms

blow

caress

fondle

hit

pat

pet

line

rub

apoplexy

touch

strike

knock

beat

cerebrovascular accident

chuck

feel

move

attack

👊

throw

movement

dash

💨

sweep

shot

row

grope

seizure

shock

⚡

bump

thrust

wave

👋

tap

fit

massage

💆

iron

streak

percussion

slash

cut

scratch

stripe

swing

apoplectic fit

paddle

slam

separatrix

cuddle

lash

motion

slap

hug

Translations

Schlag

caresser

coup

acariciar

Strich

accarezzare

accident vasculaire cérébral

colpo

Schlaganfall

streicheln

slag

aaien

apoplexie

trait

golpe

Pronounced as (IPA)

/stɹəʊk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: strok

Inherited from Old English: strāc

Cognate with German: Streich

Cognate with Middle Low German: strēk

Cognate with Scots: strak

Cognate with German: streicheln

Cognate with Middle Low German: strēken

Cognate with Middle Dutch: strēken

Cognate with Dutch: streeken

Cognate with Old High German: strīhhan

Cognate with Middle High German: strīchen

Cognate with German: streichen

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: strookje

Cognate with Western Frisian: streakje

In summary

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”)