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
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Synonyms for stroke
Synonyms: Noun
bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, lash, lick, pelt, 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)
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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
No Astro reached scoring position until the sixth, when Springer and Bregman stroked consecutive one-out singles. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros held scoreless in loss to A's," 10 July 2018 Spanish for mother, to the women cuddling, stroking and feeding them. — New York Times, "As Migrant Families Are Reunited, Some Children Don’t Recognize Their Mothers," 10 July 2018 Ann presently cured Mrs Pitt’s leg after a bad fall merely by stroking it, and soon became so famous that numerous people flocked to the house for cures from as far south as Land’s End, and as far north as London. — Longreads, "Fairy Scapegoats: A History of the Persecution of Changeling Children," 9 June 2018 Her mother stroked Janne’s hair, and cried softly as the girl wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist and didn’t let go for more than a minute. — Lori Rozsa, Washington Post, "Girl, 7, reunited with mother after two-month separation under ‘zero tolerance’ border policy," 1 July 2018 According to the Daily Mail, Bear-McClard also stroked Waterhouse’s face, and the two left the gym together in a car. — Allie Jones, The Cut, "Emily Ratajkowski’s Husband Put His Arm Around Suki Waterhouse!," 26 Apr. 2018 Served a 94 mph fastball belt-high, Moustakas stroked the seventh pitch of his eighth at-bat against Montas — Moustakas went 0 for 4 against the 25-year-old last week — just over the right-field wall for a two-run homer. — Maria Torres, kansascity, "Moustakas' eighth-inning homer changed nothing as Royals' skid hits six in loss to A's," 8 June 2018 Not many people can stroke a check for $20 million. — Polina Marinova, Fortune, "Term Sheet -- Friday, May 18," 18 May 2018 Backup catcher Bryan Holaday filled in for Realmuto, reaching six times in three games and stroking the walk-off single on Monday night. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Catcher J.T. Realmuto returns to Marlins as an All-Star and a father," 13 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Residents lined up for water under the scorching sun as temperatures rose to 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), raising risks of heat stroke. — Washington Post, "Many out of power, water in flood-hit Japan; over 150 dead," 10 July 2018 An 89-year-old suffering symptoms of a stroke was medevaced off a Carnival cruise ship Monday evening, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. — David J. Neal, miamiherald, "Coast Guard medevacs 89-year-old off Carnival cruise ship as it heads for Jamaica," 10 July 2018 Residents lined up for water under the scorching sun as temperatures rose to 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), raising risks of heat stroke. — Mari Yamaguchi, The Seattle Times, "Many out of power, water in flood-hit Japan; over 150 dead," 10 July 2018 Fletcher was arrested on unrelated child abuse charges in 2004 and died in prison of a stroke in 2006 while serving an almost eight-year sentence. — Rod Mcguirk, chicagotribune.com, "Australian bishop sentenced to year's detention for cover-up," 2 July 2018 Fletcher was arrested on unrelated child abuse charges in 2004 and died in prison of a stroke in 2006 while serving an almost eight-year sentence. — Rod Mcguirk, USA TODAY, "Australian bishop sentenced to year’s detention for child sex abuse cover-up," 2 July 2018 SEMINOLE Rita M Stever Rita M Stever 94 passed away peacefully in Hospice care on June 28, 2018 as the result of a stroke. — OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 6/30," 30 June 2018 Symptoms and treatment of heat stroke can be found here. — Deasia Paige, Detroit Free Press, "Immigration protest organizers warn marchers to brace for scorching heat," 29 June 2018 Meteorologists also warn to watch out for these symptoms of heat stroke, according to WebMD: Throbbing headache. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Heat advisory issued for Houston as temp index reaches 108," 29 June 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.
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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
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