stroke

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word stroke. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word stroke, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say stroke in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word stroke you have here. The definition of the word stroke will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofstroke, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

WOTD – 29 October 2022

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

The noun is derived from Middle English strok, stroke (“blow from a weapon, cut”),[1] 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”).[2][3]

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.[4][5]

cognates

Noun

stroke (plural strokes)

  1. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
    Synonym: beat
    a stroke on the chin
    1. An act of striking with a weapon; a blow.
      In Singapore, acts of vandalism like graffiti are punishable by 3 to 8 strokes of the cane in addition to imprisonment.
    2. A single movement with a tool; also, an impact of a tool on an object.
    3. The hitting of a bell or similar by the clapper or hammer of a clock; the sound thereof; the time when this occurs.
      on the stroke of midnight
    4. (ball games) An act of hitting or trying to hit a ball; also, the manner in which this is done.
      1. (cricket) The action of hitting the ball with the bat; a shot.
      2. (golf) A single act of striking at the ball with a club; also, at matchplay, a shot deducted from a player's score at a hole as a result of a handicapping system.
      3. (squash) A point awarded to a player in case of interference or obstruction by the opponent.
      4. (tennis) The hitting of a ball with a racket; also, the movement of the racket and arm that produces that impact.
  2. A movement similar to that of hitting.
    1. One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished.
      the stroke of a bird’s wing in flying
      1. (rowing)
        1. The movement of an oar or paddle through water: either the cycle of movement as a whole, or the propelling phase (as opposed to the return); the manner in which such movements are made; a rowing style.
        2. (by extension) The rower nearest the stern of the boat, the movement of whose oar sets the rhythm for the other rowers; the position in the boat occupied by this rower.
      2. (swimming) A movement of the arms and legs which propels a swimmer through the water; a specific combination of such movements, constituting a swimming style.
        butterfly stroke
        • 1913, Joseph C Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D Appleton and Company, →OCLC, pages 165–166:
          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.
    2. A beat or throb, as of the heart or pulse.
      Synonym: pulsation
      • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part VI”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, page 157:
        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.
    3. (technology) A single movement or thrust of a reciprocating device (such as a piston or connecting rod); the length of this movement.
      For the pistons of a four-stroke engine, the exhaust stroke follows the power stroke.
      1. (by extension) A thrust of the penis during sexual intercourse.
  3. (figuratively)
    1. An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
      the stroke of death
      • a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Magnyfycence, a Goodly Interlude and a Mery, ”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: , volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, , published 1843, →OCLC, page 287, lines 1908–1911:
        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.
      • 1612 January 5 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Francis Beaumont, Iohn Fletcher, A King and No King. , London: for Thomas Walkley, , published 1619, →OCLC, Act I, page 4:
        Sheele make you ſhrinke as I did, vvith a ſtroke / But of her eye Tigranes.
      • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker ; nd by Robert Boulter ; nd Matthias Walker, , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC, lines 470–471:
        So judg'd he Man, both Judge and Saviour ſent, / And th' inſtant ſtroke of Death denounc'd that day / Remov'd farr off; […]
      • 1785–1786 (date written; published 1786), Robert Burns, “The Cotter’s Saturday Night”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, 2nd edition, volume II, Edinburgh: T Cadell, , and William Creech, , published 1793, →OCLC, stanza XIV, page 12:
        ovv the royal Bard did groaning lye, / Beneath the ſtroke of Heaven's avenging ire; […]
      • 1860, George Augustus Sala, “Philip Leslie”, in The Baddington Peerage: Who Won, and Who Wore It. A Story of the Best and the Worst Society. , volume I, London: Charles J. Skeet, , →OCLC, page 306:
        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; […]
    2. A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
    3. An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
      a stroke of business
    4. A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done or produced; also, something accomplished by such an effort; an achievement, a feat.
      a stroke of genius
    5. A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
      • 1762, Horace Walpole, “Painters and Other Artists in the Reign of James I”, in Anecdotes of Painting in England; , volume II, London: Thomas Farmer , →OCLC, footnote †, page 38:
        Among other branches of ſcience, if one can call it ſo, Mr. Evelyn ſtudied Phyſiognomy, and found diſſimulation, boldneſs, cruelty and ambition in every touch and ſtroke of Fuller's picture of Oliver Cromvvell's face, vvhich he ſays, vvas the moſt reſembling portrait of the Protector.
      1. (linguistics, calligraphy, typography) A line making up a written character.
      2. (typography)
        1. (computing) In Unicode: the formal name of the individual horizontal strikethroughs (as in "A̶").
        2. (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) The oblique, slash, or virgule ("/").
          • 2006 February 3, Graham Linehan, “Calamity Jen”, in The IT Crowd, season 1, episode 2:
            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.
    6. A distinctive expression in a written composition; a touch.
      to give some finishing strokes to an essay
    7. (chiefly archaic) Influence; power.
      1. (professional wrestling) Backstage influence.
    8. (turn-based games) A masterful or effective action.
      Synonym: masterstroke
      • 1817, François-André Danican Philidor (translated), Studies of Chess, Samuel Bagster, page 106:
        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.
      • 1889, Wilhelm Steinitz, The Modern Chess Instructor, G. P. Putnam's sons, page 29:
        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.
  5. (medicine) A sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing minor to major brain damage and possible death.
    Synonyms: cerebrovascular accident, CVA
    suffer a stroke
  6. (sciences) An individual discharge of lightning, particularly if causing damage.
    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.
  7. An individual social interaction whereby one gives another attention or recognition.
    • 1980 April 5, Charles E. Skinner, “Personal Advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 15:
      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.
  8. (obsolete)
    1. The effect or result of a striking; affliction or injury; a bruise or wound; soreness.
      • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Isaiah 30:26, column 2:
        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.
    2. Chiefly in to have a good stroke: appetite.
      • 1699, William Dampier, “Of the Government of Tonquin. ”, in Voyages and Descriptions. Vol. II. , London: James Knapton, , →OCLC, part I (His Voyage from Achin in Sumatra, to Tonquin, ), page 71:
        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.
      • 1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue II”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, , London: B Motte , published 1738, →OCLC, page 150:
        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.
      • 1893–1894, Oliver Heslop, “OWEREAT”, in Northumberland Words: A Glossary of Words Used in the County of Northumberland and on the Tyneside, volume II, London: For the English Dialect Society by Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press, , →OCLC, page 518:
        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).
      • a. 1968 (date written), Walter Macken, “The Dreamer”, in The Grass of the People, Dingle, Co. Kerry: Brandon, published 1998, →ISBN, page 212:
        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.
      • 1995, John B Keane, “Something Drastic”, in The Voice of an Angel and Other Christmas Stories, Dublin: Mercier Press, →ISBN, page 88:
        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.
    3. (medicine) A sudden attack of any illness, especially if causing loss of consciousness or movement, or when fatal.
      a stroke of apoplexy
    4. (music) 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.
Alternative forms
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

stroke (third-person singular simple present strokes, present participle stroking, simple past and past participle stroked)

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

Etymology 2

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;”) ,[6] 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).[5][7]

The noun is derived from the verb.[3][8]

cognates

Verb

stroke (third-person singular simple present strokes, present participle stroking, simple past and past participle stroked) (transitive)

  1. 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.
    • 1660 July 16 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “”, 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:
      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."
    • 1700, Dryden, “Cinyras and Myrrha, out of the Tenth Book of Ovid’s Metamorphosis”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC, page 177:
      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.
    • 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 Strahan; and T Cadell, , →OCLC, page 183:
      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.
    • 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Animals of the Hare Kind. ”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. , new edition, volume IV, London: F Wingrave, successor to Mr. Nourse, , →OCLC, page 53:
      It [the guinea pig] ſtrokes its head vvith the fore feet like the rabbit; and, like it, ſits upon the hind feet; […]
    • 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:
      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. […]"
  2. (also figuratively) To bring (something) to a certain condition by stroking (sense 1).
  3. (figuratively)
    1. (especially psychoanalysis) To give assurance to (someone) through encouragement.
    2. (by extension, chiefly US, politics) To influence (someone) by convincing or flattering them.
  4. (agriculture) 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.
  5. (masonry) To give a finely fluted surface to (stone) by carving it with a tool.
  6. (obsolete)
    1. To sharpen (a knife or other cutting instrument) by honing or rubbing it against a surface.
    2. (figuratively) To soothe (someone); also, to flatter or indulge (someone).
Conjugation
Conjugation of stroke
infinitive (to) stroke
present tense past tense
1st-person singular stroke stroked
2nd-person singular stroke, strokest† stroked, strokedst†
3rd-person singular strokes, stroketh† stroked
plural stroke
subjunctive stroke stroked
imperative stroke —
participles stroking stroked

†Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms
Translations

Noun

stroke (plural strokes)

  1. An act of moving one's hand or an object along a surface in one direction, touching it lightly; a caress.
    She gave the cat a stroke.
  2. (figuratively)
    1. A gesture of assurance given as encouragement; specifically (psychoanalysis) in transactional analysis: a (generally positive) reaction expressed to a person which fulfils their desires or needs.
      • 2009, Mark Widdowson, Transactional Analysis: 100 Key Points and Techniques, page 246:
        Not providing a stroke to a client can sometimes facilitate the client in becoming aware of their neediness or desire for approval. By not giving a stroke, the client's need is brought to the surface, where it is amenable to change, […]
    2. (chiefly US) A flattering or friendly act, comment, etc., done or made to a person to influence them.
Derived terms
Translations

References

  1. ^ “strōk(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ Compare “stroke, n.1”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2022.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 “stroke, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  4. ^ “stroke, v.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 “stroke, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  6. ^ “strōken, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  7. ^ Compare “stroke, v.1”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022.
  8. ^ “stroke, n.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022.

Further reading

Anagrams

Hungarian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from English stroke.[4]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):  (phonetic respelling: sztrók)[5]
  • Hyphenation: stroke
  • Rhymes: -oːk

Noun

stroke (countable and uncountable, plural stroke-ok)

  1. (medicine) stroke (loss of brain function arising when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted or a particular case of it)
    Synonyms: agyvérzés, (archaic) agyszélhűdés, (folksy) gutaütés, (folksy) szélütés

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative stroke stroke-ok
accusative stroke-ot stroke-okat
dative stroke-nak stroke-oknak
instrumental stroke-kal stroke-okkal
causal-final stroke-ért stroke-okért
translative stroke-ká stroke-okká
terminative stroke-ig stroke-okig
essive-formal stroke-ként stroke-okként
essive-modal — —
inessive stroke-ban stroke-okban
superessive stroke-on stroke-okon
adessive stroke-nál stroke-oknál
illative stroke-ba stroke-okba
sublative stroke-ra stroke-okra
allative stroke-hoz stroke-okhoz
elative stroke-ból stroke-okból
delative stroke-ról stroke-okról
ablative stroke-tól stroke-októl
non-attributive
possessive - singular 		stroke-é stroke-oké
non-attributive
possessive - plural 		stroke-éi stroke-okéi
Possessive forms of stroke
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. stroke-om stroke-jaim
2nd person sing. stroke-od stroke-jaid
3rd person sing. stroke-ja stroke-jai
1st person plural stroke-unk stroke-jaink
2nd person plural stroke-otok stroke-jaitok
3rd person plural stroke-juk stroke-jaik

References

  1. ^ Tóth, Etelka, editor (2017), Magyar helyesírási szótár: A magyar helyesírás szabályai tizenkettedik kiadása szerint [Dictionary of Hungarian orthography: according to the 12th edition of the Rules of Hungarian orthography], Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, →ISBN. Online version
  2. ^ Section 203 in A magyar helyesírás szabályai, 12. kiadás (’The Rules of Hungarian Orthography, 12th edition’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2015. →ISBN
  3. ^ stroke and sztrók in the word list of the latter
  4. ^ Pusztai, Ferenc (ed.). Magyar értelmező kéziszótár (“A Concise Explanatory Dictionary of Hungarian”). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2003. 2nd, expanded and revised edition →ISBN. Online searchable version (under development)
  5. ^ Eőry, Vilma. Értelmező szótár+ (“Explanatory Dictionary Plus”). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2007. →ISBN

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English *strāc, from Proto-West Germanic *straik.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

stroke (plural strokes)

  1. Any striking or hitting motion:
    1. A strike or hit from a weapon or instrument of torture
    2. A strike or hit from one's hands or other limbs
    3. A strike or hit from a tool against an object.
  2. The force of death; the origin or effect of one's demise.
  3. (Late Middle English) The feeling of an intense emotion or mood.
  4. (Late Middle English) The process of making a striking or hitting motion.
  5. A loud sound caused by weather (e.g. heavy rain)
  6. The result of a striking or hitting motion; a wound.
  7. (rare) A jerking or pulsing motion (e.g. a heartbeat)
Descendants
  • English: stroke
  • Scots: strake, straik, strak
  • Yola: stroke
References

Etymology 2

From Old English strācian, from Proto-West Germanic *straikōn.

Verb

stroke

  1. Alternative form of stroken

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

Verb

stroke

  1. past participle of stryka

Swedish

Noun

stroke c

  1. (medicine) a stroke
    Synonym: slaganfall

Declension

Declension of stroke
nominative genitive
singular indefinite stroke strokes
definite stroken strokens
plural indefinite — —
definite — —

References

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English stroke, from Old English *strāc, from Proto-West Germanic *straik.

Pronunciation

Noun

stroke

  1. stroke
    • 1867, “SONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 4, page 108:
      A vursth stroke hea strooke
      The first stroke he struck

References

  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 108
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia