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\ ˈstrōk 
\
\stroked; stroking
Definition of stroke
(Entry 1 of 3)
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 the idea was a stroke of inspiration a master stroke of diplomacy
5 : 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 #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.
— called also apoplexy, brain attack, cerebrovascular accident
— compare ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, transient ischemic attack6a : 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
at a stroke
: all at once
spent her savings at a stroke
stroke
verb (2)stroked; stroking
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 sports : to hit, kick, or shoot (a ball) with a smooth movement
stroke a putt stroked a single to left field
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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)
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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The lawsuit accuses her of stroking her hand across John Doe 1's lap toward his inner leg and caressing his chest and face.
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NBC News, "NFL player sues United Airlines, alleges woman sexually assaulted him on flight," 20 May 2020 MOBILE REGION Hannah Atwood, Spanish Fort (softball): Pitched a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and a walk, adding a two-run double in a win then stroked an RBI-triple in another victory.
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Dennis Victory, al, "Vote for the statewide high school girls spring sports Player of the Week March 9-14," 17 Mar. 2020 The second option, massages, can include everything from hair stroking to back kneading.
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New York Times, "Preparing for Birth Without Pain Medication," 18 Apr. 2020 Touch can be a nurse’s greatest tool: holding a hand, wiping away a tear, stroking a face.
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Sumathi Reddy, WSJ, "Four Dispatches From the Pandemic’s Front Lines," 14 Apr. 2020 Spence was 4-4 in a 10-4 win over St. Michaels, stroking a single, double and two triples.
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Dennis Victory, al, "See high school spring sports boys, girls top performance winners Week 2," 20 Mar. 2020 The Nigerian midfielder took his time and stroked the ball beyond Andujar to leave Napoli's dreams in utter tatters.
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SI.com, "Napoli 2-4 Lazio: The 90 Minute Champions League Shootout That Had it All," 6 Nov. 2019 Ethan Elder took a few steps, touched his son lightly on the arm, and pulling his wife’s head close to his, stroked her hair in a gesture of affection their child could glimpse.
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Washington Post, "Trial begins for jailed American pals in policeman’s slaying," 26 Feb. 2020 And for the same reason a black female bailiff was seen stroking Guyger’s blonde hair after she was found guilty of murder.
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Dahleen Glanton, chicagotribune.com, "Column: A black man forgave the white cop who killed his brother. And some African Americans don’t like it.," 4 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The first was the impact of air pollution on the cardiovascular system—heart attacks and strokes.
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Ellen Ruppel Shell, Scientific American, "The New Alzheimer’s–Air Pollution Link," 12 May 2020 So far, no COVID-19 patient at Audie Murphy has relapsed, a problem that has arisen occasionally elsewhere, and none have suffered heart attacks or strokes, a condition linked to blood clots that are believed to have been triggered by the virus.
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Sig Christenson, ExpressNews.com, "With older patients and five deaths so far, San Antonio’s VA hospital adjusts to coronavirus era," 8 May 2020 Even emergency room visits dropped off — in many places by more than half — and doctors worried that patients were delaying care for serious issues such as heart attacks and strokes.
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Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, "Stanford resumes non-emergency care after widespread staff testing finds few coronavirus cases," 4 May 2020 Everyone seemed to have the virus: the heart-attack and stroke patients, the people in alcohol withdrawal.
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Lizzie Widdicombe, The New Yorker, "The Coronavirus Pandemic Peaks in New York’s Hospitals," 15 Apr. 2020 When not managed, hypertension can put stress on the heart, increasing the risk of a heart attack or a stroke.
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USA Today, "Coronavirus, diabetes, obesity and other underlying conditions: Which patients are most at risk?," 15 Apr. 2020 Millions of deaths either from the virus or from people who can’t be treated for the usual set of heart attacks, strokes, all the rest, because hospitals can’t deal with the virus.
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James Hamblin, The Atlantic, "Three Scenarios for How This Ends," 31 Mar. 2020 In a study published Feb. 14 in Circulation, researchers in the U.K. and the U.S. report that an AI program can reliably predict heart attacks and strokes.
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Alice Park, Time, "How AI Can Predict Heart Attacks and Strokes," 14 Feb. 2020 Hub-and-spoke models currently exist for the treatment of heart attacks and strokes, but existing models necessitate patients presenting at a spoke location before being transferred to the hub to undergo a procedure.
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Ryan Madder, Fortune, "Robot surgery could be the future of health care in remote areas," 12 Feb. 2020
See MoreThese 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\ ˈstrōk \
\stroked; stroking
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\ ˈstrōk \
\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.
… people at risk for stroke should be evaluated for surgery to open up blockages in the arteries of the neck.— Jay Siwek, The Washington Post, 22 June 1999 Partial paralysis and speech difficulties often follow these strokes.— Bruce Bower, Science News, 25 Feb. 1984 stroke survivors— called also apoplexy, brain attack, cerebral accident, cerebrovascular accident
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Time Traveler for stroke
The first known use of stroke was before the 12th century
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