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 big man from Phoenix is 6-11, but plays more like a much smaller player, athletically getting to the rim, stroking in 3-pointers, soaring in for alley-oop dunks. — John Marshall, Houston Chronicle, "Freshmen headline AP All-America team for first time," 27 Mar. 2018 Plus, Streaks is a lot less annoying than stroking your phone screen repeatedly for eight seconds for one measly life. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "HQ rewards you for still playing the game with extra lives for participating daily," 5 July 2018 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

During previous wildfires in California, researchers found that emergency room visits for asthma, heart attacks, and strokes spiked in areas under dense smoke. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "How improving air quality could add years to people’s lives around the world.," 21 Nov. 2018 These clots can cause immediate problems, like heart attacks or strokes—a-fib significantly raises the risks of each. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "What is atrial fibrillation, and why is your watch telling you about it?," 26 Sep. 2018 Another 21 percent were due to digestive disorders, and 19 percent due to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. — Fox News, "Alcohol abuse kills 3 million a year, most of them men: WHO," 21 Sep. 2018 The condition can lead to a heart attack or stroke and years of treatment. — Kate Santich, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Heart disease can be catastrophic for financial health," 11 July 2018 Left untreated, high blood pressure is a risk factor for having a heart attack or a stroke. — Cara Rosenbloom, chicagotribune.com, "Ignore calories and BMI. Here are the health numbers that really matter.," 9 July 2018 Social isolation has been associated with significant increases in both mortality risk and risk for a heart attack or stroke. — Markham Heid, Time, "Is Working Remotely Bad for Your Health?," 9 July 2018 Her husband, Sergio Marten, suffered a series of heart attacks and strokes, dying in 2016 just before the school year began. — Peter Rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Back story: Cindy Marten, a school superintendent carrying a heavy load," 8 July 2018 Particulate pollution not only triggers similar respiratory problems, but can result in cardiovascular harm in the form of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure, and reduced blood supply to the heart. — Alex Park, Houston Chronicle, "Air pollution poses health risk to Houstonians, study finds," 3 July 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

14 May 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