stroke

verb (1)

\ ˈstrōk

stroked; stroking

Definition of stroke

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

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

noun

Definition 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 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

11 [ ¹stroke ] : an act of stroking or caressing

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)

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

1 : to execute a stroke

2 : to row at a certain number of strokes a minute

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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

The striker latched on to Pritchard's super through ball and, beating West Brom's high defensive line, stroked home past Ben Foster as boos rung down from the stands. — SI.com, "West Brom 1-2 Huddersfield: Pitiful Baggies Bested by Snappy Terriers at Hawthorns," 24 Feb. 2018 The duo danced for the big screen and took turns playfully stroking each other’s beards . — Dan Gelston, The Seattle Times, "Truex makes move to Joe Gibbs Racing with championship goal," 11 Feb. 2019 Dylan Wood stroked two singles and had two RBIs for the Scotties. *** Dylan Stezzi homered and knocked in two runs as part of a four-run first inning in Eastern’s 4-3 triumph over Shawnee. — Corey Sharp, Philly.com, "Tuesday's S.J. roundup: Pennsauken baseball walks-off over Cinnaminson; Ocean City's Bradon Lashley no-hits Middle Township," 3 May 2018 In fact, one adorable kid not only gave Prince Harry the biggest hug, but also decided to stroke Prince Harry's beard. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kids Can't Get Enough of Prince Harry's Beard on the Royal Tour in Australia," 17 Oct. 2018 Holaday filled the void by stroking his first career walk-off hit to lead Miami to a 4-3 win over Milwaukee. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Inside the thankless yet essential routine of Marlins backup catcher Bryan Holaday," 10 July 2018 Hataoka began began the final round at the KPMG nine strokes back of Ryu and posted closing 64 on the strength of two eagles. — Beth Ann Nichols, USA TODAY, "Sung Hyun Park wins KPMG Women's PGA Championship for second major title," 1 July 2018 Acute stroke care requires innovation in three broad areas: stroke diagnosis, pre-hospital technology and communication, and coordination of care from field to hospital. — Kevin Sheth, Washington Post, "Too many people die from strokes because treatment is delayed," 8 Apr. 2018 Navas did well to block the initial effort but 21-year-old Emmanuel Boateng made no mistake with the rebound, stroking home into the far corner past the lunge of Varane for the equaliser and his first league goal of the season. — SI.com, "Levante 2-2 Real Madrid: Deadline Day Signing Pazzini Nets Late to Deny Visitors," 3 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

His stroke, which Gabonese authorities kept secret for weeks, sparked speculation over who was running the country and opposition demands for early elections. — Gabriele Steinhauser, WSJ, "Gabon Government Says It Stopped Attempted Coup," 7 Jan. 2019 Soon after, the old man suffered a stroke and died. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'Chicago Fire' Shows Severide Facing Death in This Terrifying Sneak Peek," 13 Nov. 2018 That range included obvious culprits like stroke and Type 2 diabetes as well as conditions like chronic back pain and liver cancer. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "A new, eye-wateringly high estimate of the cost of obesity in the US," 1 Nov. 2018 Without treatment, the disease causes major strokes and mental decline. — Fox News, "Sisters diagnosed with rare disease weeks apart recovering from brain surgeries," 28 Sep. 2018 People with diabetes and hypertension, common diseases that often occur together, have more than double the risk of stroke and heart attacks, and company officials say the app aims to help them better manage the chronic conditions. — Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, "WellDoc adds hypertension to diabetes management app," 9 July 2018 Orsborn: Not to be redundant here, but the Warriors adding a fifth All-Star in Cousins for only $5.6 million was a master stroke and the biggest steal in free agency, especially after the Lakers signed LeBron James. — Nick Talbot, San Antonio Express-News, "Writers’ Roundtable: How the Spurs’ and NBA free agency is shaping up," 7 July 2018 And now, only two years later, Bunjevcevic has passed away after suffering a heavy stroke and undergoing emergency surgery. — SI.com, "Social Media Unites in Tribute After Former Spurs Defender Goran Bunjevcevic Passes Away Aged 45," 29 June 2018 After kidney failure, a stroke and two cardiac arrests McClinton died 19 days later. — The Economist, "Hospitals are learning from industry how to cut medical errors," 28 June 2018

These 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.

History and Etymology for stroke

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English strācian; akin to Old High German strīhhan to stroke — more at strike

Noun

Middle English; akin to Old English strīcan to stroke — more at strike

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Dictionary Entries near stroke

Statistics for stroke

Last Updated

19 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for stroke

The first known use of stroke was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for stroke

stroke

noun

English 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

noun

Kids 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