stroke
1 Americannoun
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the act or an instance of striking, as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer; a blow.
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a hitting of or upon anything.
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a striking of a clapper or hammer, as on a bell.
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the sound produced by this.
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a throb or pulsation, as of the heart.
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Also called apoplexy, cerebrovascular accident. Pathology. a blockage or hemorrhage of a blood vessel leading to the brain, causing inadequate oxygen supply and, depending on the extent and location of the abnormality, such symptoms as weakness, paralysis of parts of the body, speech difficulties, and, if severe, loss of consciousness or death.
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something likened to a blow in its effect, as in causing pain, injury, or death; an attack of apoplexy or paralysis.
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a destructive discharge of lightning.
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a vigorous movement, as if in dealing a blow.
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Sports. a hitting of a ball, as by the swing of a racquet in tennis or the controlled jabbing or thrusting with the cue in pool and billiards.
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a single complete movement, especially one continuously repeated in some process.
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Machinery.
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one of a series of alternating continuous movements of something back and forth over or through the same line.
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the complete movement of a moving part, especially a reciprocating part, in one direction.
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the distance traversed in such a movement.
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a half revolution of an engine during which the piston travels from one extreme of its range to the other.
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Swimming.
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a type or method of swimming.
The crawl is a rapid stroke.
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each of the successive movements of the arms and legs in propelling the body through the water.
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Rowing.
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a single pull of the oar.
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the manner or style of moving the oars.
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Also called stroke oar. the crew member nearest to the stern of the boat, to whose strokes those of the other crew members must conform.
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a movement of a pen, pencil, brush, graver, or the like.
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a mark traced by or as if by one movement of a pen, pencil, brush, or the like.
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Chiefly British. virgule.
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a distinctive or effective touch in a literary composition.
His style revealed the stroke of a master.
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a single or minimal act, piece, or amount of work, activity, etc..
to refuse to do a stroke of work.
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an attempt to attain some object.
a bold stroke for liberty.
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a measure adopted for a particular purpose.
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a keystroke.
no more than 65 strokes to the line for business letters.
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a feat or achievement.
a stroke of genius.
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a sudden or chance happening, as of luck or fortune.
verb (used with object)
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to mark with a stroke or strokes, as of a pen; cancel, as by a stroke of a pen.
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Rowing.
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to row as a stroke oar of (a boat or crew).
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to set the stroke for the crew of (a boat).
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Sports. to hit (a ball), as with a deliberate, smooth swing of a bat or club.
noun
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the act or an instance of striking; a blow, knock, or hit
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a sudden action, movement, or occurrence
a stroke of luck
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a brilliant or inspired act or feat
a stroke of genius
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pathol apoplexy; rupture of a blood vessel in the brain resulting in loss of consciousness, often followed by paralysis, or embolism or thrombosis affecting a cerebral vessel
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the striking of a clock
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the hour registered by the striking of a clock
on the stroke of three
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a mark, flourish, or line made by a writing implement
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another name for solidus, used esp when dictating or reading aloud
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a light touch or caress, as with the fingers
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a pulsation, esp of the heart
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a single complete movement or one of a series of complete movements
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sport the act or manner of striking the ball with a racket, club, bat, etc
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any one of the repeated movements used by a swimmer to propel himself through the water
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a manner of swimming, esp one of several named styles such as the crawl or butterfly
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any one of a series of linear movements of a reciprocating part, such as a piston
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the distance travelled by such a part from one end of its movement to the other
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a single pull on an oar or oars in rowing
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manner or style of rowing
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the oarsman who sits nearest the stern of a shell, facing the cox, and sets the rate of striking for the rest of the crew
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informal a compliment or comment that enhances a person's self-esteem
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slang (modifier) pornographic; masturbatory
stroke magazines
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(usually used with a negative) a small amount of work
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performing or working less well than usual
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punctually at
verb
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(tr) to touch, brush, or caress lightly or gently
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(tr) to mark a line or a stroke on or through
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to act as the stroke of (a racing shell)
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(tr) sport to strike (a ball) with a smooth swinging blow
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informal (tr) to handle or influence (someone) with care, using persuasion, flattery, etc
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A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel of the brain, resulting in necrosis of brain tissue (called a cerebral infarct) and characterized by loss of muscular control, weakening or loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of brain damage.
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Also called cerebrovascular accident
Synonym Usage
See blow 1.
Etymology
Origin of stroke1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun strok(e), stroc, strocke, strak(e), probably continuing unattested Old English strāc (whence strācian ”to stroke”); cognate with German Streich; akin to strike; see also stroke 2
Origin of stroke2
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb stroke(n), strake, Old English strācian; cognate with German streichen; akin to strike
Explanation
It's a stroke of luck, or chance event, to find a terrific parking space on a rainy day, but no one feels lucky when their grandfather has a stroke, a sudden debilitating loss of oxygen to the brain. Stroke is a high value word — many meanings, yet rarely misunderstood in context. You can swim a certain stroke (or just doggie paddle), you can stroke a cat's fur, you can figuratively stroke your boss's ego by flattering him, or you can have a stroke of brilliance and solve world hunger. Hopefully you won't suffer a stroke and need hospitalization. Its origin as a medical term goes back to the 1500s when it was shortened from "the Stroke of God's Hand."
Vocabulary lists containing stroke
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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The Smashing Lexicon of Tennis
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The model was designed to assess the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease and venous thromboembolism.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
Bryson DeChambeau thought he had finished Day 2 of the British Open in second place and just one stroke off the lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
An operation to life the 48-year-old's eyelid after a minor stroke left her with huge swelling that covered her eye.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Using brain stroke as an example, Folkerth says the atlas has uncovered new features that could help doctors preserve brain tissue that is injured but not yet beyond repair, potentially improving patient outcomes.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Meanwhile Klenam and I made the fufu, me pounding the steaming plantain and cassava together in the large wooden mortar while she turned and shaped the blended mass adeptly between each stroke of the pestle.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Michael Phelps crawl stroked away from his first retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
She said while he was "not a good sleeper" he quickly went back to sleep by having his head stroked.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
Pundits who failed to predict the operation in the first place gravely stroked their chins before intoning that the Venezuelan adventure must inevitably fail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 4, 2026
However it was Juve who went closest to scoring again in the 80th minute when Yildiz stroked a beautiful shot onto the post, and the hosts held out to claim a big three points.
From Barron's ● Dec. 20, 2025
A smiling Heath Huxley, his perfectly proportioned teeth shining like a white picket fence, stepped out of the principal’s office and stroked his sleek black mane.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
McGinn collected Youri Tielemans' long ball and remained cool, sidestepping the 'keeper and stroking the ball into the empty net.
From Barron's ● Jan. 3, 2026
Ms. Waller-Bridge was almost as funny as Jean Smart in “Hacks,” which lost the Emmy to Seth Rogen’s wobbly vehicle “The Studio,” another example of the industry stroking itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
Because like when she does the chime stroking things or like, the brush strokes, which are the really soft sounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025
They usually stare at each other when Rute is cuddling with her on the couch and stroking her long curly hair.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2025
‘I definitely like him, too,’ I said as Bo nudged my hand as if to remind me to keep stroking him while I talked.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.