stroke
verb (1)
\
Definition of stroke
(Entry 1 of 3)
1 : to rub gently in one direction also : caress
2 : to flatter or pay attention to in a manner designed to reassure or persuade
stroke
nounDefinition of stroke (Entry 2 of 3)
1 : the act of striking especially : a blow with a weapon or implement
2 : a single unbroken movement especially : one of a series of repeated or to-and-fro movements
3a : a controlled swing intended to hit a ball or shuttlecock also : a striking of the ball
b : such a stroke charged to a player as a unit of scoring in golf
4a : a sudden action or process producing an impact a stroke of lightning
b : an unexpected result a stroke of luck
5
: sudden diminution or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the brain
— called also
apoplexy, brain attack, cerebrovascular accident
6a : one of a series of propelling beats or movements against a resisting medium a stroke of the oar
b : a rower who sets the pace for a crew
7a : a vigorous or energetic effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished a stroke of genius a brilliant diplomatic stroke
b : a delicate or clever touch in a narrative, description, or construction
8 : heartbeat
9 : the movement in either direction of a mechanical part (such as a piston) having a reciprocating motion also : the distance of such movement
10 : the sound of a bell being struck at the stroke of twelve also : the specific time indicated by or as if by such a sound
12a : a mark or dash made by a single movement of an implement
b : one of the lines of a letter of the alphabet
: all at once spent her savings at a stroke
stroke
verb (2)Definition of stroke (Entry 3 of 3)
1a : to mark with a short line stroke the t's
b : to cancel by drawing a line through stroked out his name
2 : to set the stroke for (a rowing crew) also : to set the stroke for the crew of (a rowing boat)
3 : hit especially : to propel (a ball) with a controlled swinging blow
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for stroke
Synonyms: Noun
bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap)
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of stroke in a Sentence
Noun
He had a stroke last winter. She has a strong backhand stroke. He is ahead by two strokes. She swims with long, smooth strokes. the stroke of an oar She knows the four basic strokes.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
These arms that ache to hold them, to stroke their hair, to make their favorite foods. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Radio Host Delilah Opens Up About Losing Her Teenage Son to Suicide In New Memoir," 22 Oct. 2018 Addison Russell led off with an opposite-field triple to right, and after Jason Heyward struck out, Chatwood stroked a single up the middle. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "5 Takeaways: For third time in series and fifth time in April, Cubs blank Brewers," 29 Apr. 2018 The ensuing fastball was hurtling toward the outside edge when the right-handed-hitting Tatis stroked it to right field. — Jeff Sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres prospects showed an awful lot to like this spring," 25 Mar. 2018 Burnham is seen stroking what is presumably Spock's uniform, in a storage locker on the Discovery for some reason. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 trailer will resonate with TOS fans," 24 July 2018 With England and Croatia tied 1-1 deep into extra time, Mandzukic slipped past John Stones and stroked a clinical finish past Pickford to send Croatia to the World Cup Final. — Nihal Kolur, SI.com, "Watch: Croatian Players Celebrate Mandzukic Goal With Photographer," 11 July 2018 In past reunions, elderly Koreans wept, embraced and stroked each other’s cheeks in a rush of words and emotions. — Washington Post, "AP Explains: Reunions between Korean families divided by war," 21 June 2018 Federer is a delicate, brush-stroking impressionist and Nadal is a dogged, free-wheeling abstract expressionist. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "'Strokes of Genius' Documentary Commemorates the Iconic Federer-Nadal '08 Wimbledon Final," 26 June 2018 Mike Gismondi had a double and an RBI for the Eagles. *** Jason Ferriero stroked a two-run triple to help Absegami beat Lower Cape May, 10-5. — Corey Sharp, Philly.com, "Friday's S.J. roundup: Alexa Sherr blasts two home runs in Collingswood's win," 20 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
While the broad strokes of Segale's role in Mario's naming remain consistent, the particulars can change with the retelling. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Mario Segale, namesake for Nintendo’s mascot, dies at 84," 2 Nov. 2018 Activision’s highly anticipated launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is just hours away–the official launch is the stroke of midnight (Eastern time) on October 12. — Ian Paul, PCWorld, "Pick up Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for 15 percent off before it launches tonight," 11 Oct. 2018 But finding an actual offspring of the two groups — which are more different from each other than any two present-day human groups — seemed like a rare stroke of luck, Paabo said. — Fox News, "Mom was Neanderthal: Fossil shows mix of humankind's cousins," 22 Aug. 2018 In a stroke of millennial-nostalgia-fueled genius, St. Ives is coming out with a rollerball version of its beloved Apricot Scrub, bottling the fresh, familiar apricot scent into a 10-milliliter bottle, according to Bustle. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "St. Ives Apricot Scrub Releases Rollerball Fragrance," 2 Aug. 2018 By a stroke of luck, when Xing got the call was on his way to Canada to collaborate with Caldwell on an already-in-progress study of reptiles. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Oldest Ever Baby Snake Discovered in Forest Amber," 19 July 2018 He was denied by the post in a huge stroke of luck for England, and Rebic failed to control his rebound. — SI.com, "Croatia 2-1 England (AET): Three Lions' Hearts Broken as Mandzukic Scores Extra Time Winner," 11 July 2018 Wilson flips through higher magnification lenses, then focuses on a series of tiny ridges of the frame until the remnants of their machining look like the brush strokes of Chinese calligraphy. — Adam Fisher, WIRED, "A Landmark Legal Shift Opens Pandora’s Box for DIY Guns," 10 July 2018 Get ready to roll on the river and hope for a stroke of luck on the Rabbit Hash to Rising Sun ferry. — Melissa Reinert, Cincinnati.com, "Ferry from Rabbit Hash to Rising Sun to be christened this Thursday," 9 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stroke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for stroke
stroke
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of stroke
medical : a serious illness caused when a blood vessel in your brain suddenly breaks or is blocked
: an act of hitting a ball or the movement made to hit a ball during a game
golf : an act of hitting the ball that is counted as part of a player's score
See the full definition for stroke in the English Language Learners Dictionary
stroke
verb
\
Kids Definition of stroke
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to rub gently in one direction I stroked the dog's head.
stroke
nounKids Definition of stroke (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : the act of striking : blow the stroke of a whip
2 : one of a series of repeated movements (as in swimming or rowing)
3 : a sudden serious illness caused by the breaking or blocking of an artery in the brain
4 : the sound of striking (as of a clock or bell) the stroke of midnight
5 : the hitting of a ball in a game (as golf or tennis)
6 : a sudden or unexpected example a stroke of luck
7 : a single movement or the mark made by a single movement of a brush, pen, or tool
8 : a sudden action or process that results in something being struck a stroke of lightning
9 : effort by which something is done or the results of such effort It was a stroke of genius.
stroke
noun
\
Medical Definition of stroke
: sudden impairment or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion that is caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel supplying the brain and is accompanied by permanent damage of brain tissue
Note:
Symptoms of stroke include numbness or weakness on one side of the body or face, confusion, impaired speech or vision, loss of coordination or balance, trouble walking, or severe headache. The most common type of stroke, ischemic stroke, results from a narrowed or blocked blood vessel, while hemorrhagic stroke results from a ruptured blood vessel. A very brief interruption of blood supply to the brain usually without lasting effects is called a ministroke or a transient ischemic attack. — called also
apoplexy, brain attack, cerebral accident, cerebrovascular accident
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on stroke
What made you want to look up stroke? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Late Autumn 2018 Words of the Day Quiz
-
- Which is a synonym of yahoo?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share stroke
Resources for stroke