Word.ws English Dictionary

stroke

UK/stɹəʊk//stɹoʊk/

stroke noun: an act of hitting; a blow, a hit.

Noun (1)

stroke (plural strokes)

  1. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
    • 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.1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret...
    Synonyms:
    beat, dash
    1. An act of striking with a weapon; a blow.
      • 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; […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 30, page 265
    2. A single movement with a tool; also, an impact of a tool on an object.
      • [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: […]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 19:5, column 2
      • VVith lifted Arms they order ev'ry Blovv, / And chime their ſounding Hammers in a Rovv; / VVith ſtrokes of Anvils Ætna groans belovv.1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 129...
    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
      • 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!1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 35
    4. The action of hitting the ball with the bat; a shot.
    5. 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.
    6. A point awarded to a player in case of interference or obstruction by the opponent.
    7. The hitting of a ball with a racket; also, the movement of the racket and arm that produces that impact.
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. (broadly) 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.
  5. 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
    • 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.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, pages 165–166
  6. A beat or throb, as of the heart or pulse.
    • [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.1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part VI”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 157
    Synonyms:
    pulsation
  7. A single movement or thrust of a reciprocating device (such as a piston or connecting rod).
    • For the pistons of a four-stroke engine, the exhaust stroke follows the power stroke.
  8. The length of this movement.
    • The bore times the stroke times the number of cylinders equals displacement.
  9. A thrust of the penis during sexual intercourse.
  10. (figuratively) An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
    • 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.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, […]...
  11. (figuratively) A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
    • 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.1686 April 24 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 15 April 1686]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I...
    • 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.1767, [Walter Harte], “Eulogius: Or, The Charitable Mason”, in The Amaranth: Or, Religious Poems; […], London: […] Mess. Robinson and Roberts, […]; and W. Frederick, […], →OCLC, page 200
  12. (figuratively) An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
    • 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]?"1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “Kentuck”, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume I, Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor &...
Show 12 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (figuratively) 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
  2. (figuratively) A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
    • 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.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
    1. (figuratively) A line making up a written character.
    2. (figuratively) In Unicode: the formal name of the individual horizontal strikethroughs (as in "A̶").
    3. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, figuratively) The oblique, slash, or virgule ("/").
      • 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.2006 February 3, Graham Linehan, “Calamity Jen”, in The IT Crowd, season 1, episode 2
  3. (figuratively) A distinctive expression in a written composition; a touch.
    • to give some finishing strokes to an essay
  4. (archaic, figuratively) Influence; power.
    • [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: […]1551, Thomas More, “The Fyrste Boke of the Communycacion of Raphaell Hythlodaye Concernynge the Best State of a Commen Wealthe”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and...
    • 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...1564 February, Erasmus, “The Saiynges of Philippus Kyng of Macedonie”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., Apophthegmes, that is to Saie, Prompte, Quicke, Wittie and Sentẽcious...
    1. (archaic, figuratively) Backstage influence.
  5. (figuratively, turn-based games) A masterful or effective action.
    • 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.1817, François-André Danican Philidor (translated), Studies of Chess, Samuel Bagster, page 106
    • 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.1889, Wilhelm Steinitz, The Modern Chess Instructor, G. P. Putnam's sons, page 29
    Synonyms:
    masterstroke
  6. A sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing minor to major brain damage and possible death; it may be either hemorrhagic or thrombotic.
    • suffer a stroke
  7. 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.
  8. An individual social interaction whereby one gives another attention or recognition.
    • 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.1980 April 5, Charles E. Skinner, “Personal Advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 15
  9. (obsolete) The effect or result of a striking; affliction or injury; a bruise or wound; soreness.
    • 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.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 30:26, column 2
  10. (obsolete) Chiefly in to have a good stroke: appetite.
    • [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.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...
    • 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.1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue II”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738...
  11. (obsolete) A sudden attack of any illness, especially if causing loss of consciousness or movement, or when fatal.
    • a stroke of apoplexy
  12. (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.
    • 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?1667 March 21 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Epistolary Correspondence.] To Abraham Cowley, Esq.”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […]...

Verb (1)

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

  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).
    • to stroke a boat
  8. (transitive) To strike (the water) with one's arms and legs when swimming.
  9. (transitive) To lengthen the stroke of (an engine) by installing a crankshaft with longer throws.
    • 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.
  10. (obsolete, transitive) To depict (something) with a paintbrush.
  11. (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).
  12. (intransitive) To swim by making co-ordinated movements with the arms and legs.

Verb (2)

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

  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.
    • 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...1660 July 15 (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...
    • 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.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
    1. (broadly, intransitive, transitive, uncommon, vulgar) To masturbate.
  2. (also, figuratively, transitive) To bring (something) to a certain condition by stroking (sense 1).
  3. (especially, figuratively, transitive) To give assurance to (someone) through encouragement.
    • [W]hen thou cam'ſt firſt / Thou ſtroakſt me, & made much of me: […]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...
  4. (US, broadly, figuratively, transitive) To influence (someone) by convincing or flattering them.
  5. (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.
  6. (transitive) To give a finely fluted surface to (stone) by carving it with a tool.
  7. (obsolete, transitive) To sharpen (a knife or other cutting instrument) by honing or rubbing it against a surface.
  8. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To soothe (someone); also, to flatter or indulge (someone).

Noun (2)

stroke (plural strokes)

  1. (transitive) 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, transitive) 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.
    • 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, […]2009, Mark Widdowson, Transactional Analysis: 100 Key Points and Techniques, page 246
  3. (US, figuratively, transitive) A flattering or friendly act, comment, etc., done or made to a person to influence them.

stroke meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

stroke in Hindi

loss of brain function arising when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted
मस्तिष्काघात mastiṣkāghāt
to move one’s hand or an object along (a surface) in one direction, touching it lightly
सहलाना sahlānā, पुचकारना puckārnā

stroke in Tamil

தாக்கு, வீழ்த்தாக்கு, அடிப்பு, உதை, தடவு, வீச்சு

stroke in Marathi

a stroke or beat of a clock, bell, or similar instrument
ठोका ṭhokā

stroke in Urdu

stroke
مرکز markaz
More languagesFewer languages
stroke in Bengali
চোট cōṭ, ঘা gha
stroke in Telugu
దువ్వు duvvu, నిమురు nimuru, మజాకా majākā, వేత vēta
stroke in Malayalam
അംസം aṁsaṁ
stroke in Kannada
ಒರಸು orasu
stroke in Punjabi
ਮਾਰ mār
stroke in Gujarati
સ્ટ્રોક
stroke in Odia
ଷ୍ଟ୍ରକ୍, ଷ୍ଟ୍ରୋକ୍, ଷ୍ଟ୍ରୋକ
stroke in Sanskrit
हति hati, तडित् taḍít, पात pāta, क्षेप kṣepa
stroke in Sinhala
පාර pāra
stroke in Nepali
स्ट्रोक, स्ट्रोक गर्न
stroke in Tagalog
stroke, istrok
stroke in Arabic
ضَرْبَة ḍarba, خَطّ ḵaṭṭ, سكتة دِمَاغِيَّة, لَاطَفَ lāṭafa
stroke in Malay
lejang, angin ahmar, strok
stroke in Indonesian
langkah, strok, apopleksi, elus
stroke in Persian
سکته مغزی sekte-ye maġzi, نوازش کردن navâzeš kardan
stroke in Thai
ละโบม lá-boom, ลูบ lûup, นวด nûuat
stroke in Vietnamese
nét, đột quỵ, vuốt
stroke in Myanmar
သပ် sap

Examples of stroke in a sentence

  • With many a wanton stroke / Her feet disperse the powd'ry snow / That rises up like smoke.1799 (date written), W[illiam] Wordsworth, “Lucy Gray”, in Lyrical Ballads, with Other Poems. […], 2nd edition, London: […] T[homas]...
  • No Perſon vvas puniſhed by Bonds, Strokes, or Death, vvithout the Judgment and Sentence of the Druids: […]1695, William Temple, An Introduction to the History of England, London: […] Richard Simpson […], and Ralph Simpson […], →OCLC, page 13:
  • 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.1806, William Wordsworth, “The Horn of Egremont Castle”, in Poems, in Two Volumes, volume I, London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme...
  • 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.1829 May 2, [Walter Scott], chapter VIII, in Anne of Geierstein; or, The Maiden of the Mist. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and...

All 40 example sentences with stroke

Synonyms of stroke

30 more synonymsFewer synonyms

All synonyms of stroke

Forms of stroke

Noun
pluralstrokes
alternative formstroak
Verb
third-person singular presentstrokes
present participlestroking
past participlestroked
paststroked
second-person singular present (archaic)strokest
second-person singular past (archaic)strokedst
third-person singular present (archaic)stroketh

Past tense of stroke: stroked

Plural of stroke: strokes

Origin of stroke

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 3.5.2.2 (“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”)

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”)

Words formed from stroke

Phrases with stroke

26 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with stroke

42 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about stroke

What does stroke mean?
Stroke means an act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
What is stroke in Hindi?
Stroke in Hindi is मस्तिष्काघात (mastiṣkāghāt), सहलाना (sahlānā), पुचकारना (puckārnā). See Stroke meaning in Hindi.
How do you use stroke in a sentence?
With many a wanton stroke / Her feet disperse the powd'ry snow / That rises up like smoke.
What part of speech is stroke?
Stroke can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce stroke?
Stroke is pronounced /stɹəʊk/ (UK).
What is the plural of stroke?
The plural of stroke is strokes.

Words near stroke in the dictionary

  1. strohviolin
  2. strohviolins
  3. strohviols
  4. Stroivka
  5. strokable
  6. stroke
  7. Stroke Alley
  8. Stroke Belt
  9. stroke book
  10. stroke books
  11. Stroke City

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: stroke (page history and authors); stroke (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ठोका (Marathi) (page history and authors); مرکز (Urdu) (page history and authors); ঘা (Bengali) (page history and authors); దువ్వు (Telugu) (page history and authors); അംസം (Malayalam) (page history and authors); ಒರಸು (Kannada) (page history and authors); ਮਾਰ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); stroke (Gujarati, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); stroke (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); क्षेप (Sanskrit) (page history and authors); පාර (Sinhala) (page history and authors); stroke (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-us-stroke.ogg, En-au-stroke.ogg.

Cite this entry: “stroke.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/stroke. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.