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Stroke   /stroʊk/   Listen
noun
Stroke  n.  
1.
The act of striking; a blow; a hit; a knock; esp., a violent or hostile attack made with the arm or hand, or with an instrument or weapon. "His hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree." "A fool's lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes." "He entered and won the whole kingdom of Naples without striking a stroke."
2.
The result of effect of a striking; injury or affliction; soreness. "In the day that Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound."
3.
The striking of the clock to tell the hour. "Well, but what's o'clock? - Upon the stroke of ten. Well, let is strike."
4.
A gentle, caressing touch or movement upon something; a stroking.
5.
A mark or dash in writing or printing; a line; the touch of a pen or pencil; as, an up stroke; a firm stroke. "O, lasting as those colors may they shine, Free as thy stroke, yet faultless as thy line."
6.
Hence, by extension, an addition or amandment to a written composition; a touch; as, to give some finishing strokes to an essay.
7.
A sudden attack of disease; especially, a fatal attack; a severe disaster; any affliction or calamity, especially a sudden one; as, a stroke of apoplexy; the stroke of death. "At this one stroke the man looked dead in law."
8.
A throb or beat, as of the heart.
9.
One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished; as, the stroke of a bird's wing in flying, or an oar in rowing, of a skater, swimmer, etc.; also: (Rowing)
(a)
The rate of succession of stroke; as, a quick stroke.
(b)
The oar nearest the stern of a boat, by which the other oars are guided; called also stroke oar.
(c)
The rower who pulls the stroke oar; the strokesman.
10.
A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished; also, something done or accomplished by such an effort; as, a stroke of genius; a stroke of business; a master stroke of policy.
11.
(Mach.) The movement, in either direction, of the piston plunger, piston rod, crosshead, etc., as of a steam engine or a pump, in which these parts have a reciprocating motion; as, the forward stroke of a piston; also, the entire distance passed through, as by a piston, in such a movement; as, the piston is at half stroke. Note: The respective strokes are distinguished as up and down strokes, outward and inward strokes, forward and back strokes, the forward stroke in stationary steam engines being toward the crosshead, but in locomotives toward the front of the vehicle.
12.
Power; influence. (Obs.) "Where money beareth (hath) all the stroke." "He has a great stroke with the reader."
13.
Appetite. (Obs.)
To keep stroke, to make strokes in unison. "The oars where silver, Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke."


verb
Stroke  v. t.  (past & past part. strokeed; pres. part. strokeing)  
1.
To strike. (Obs.) "Ye mote with the plat sword again Stroken him in the wound, and it will close."
2.
To rib gently in one direction; especially, to pass the hand gently over by way of expressing kindness or tenderness; to caress; to soothe. "He dried the falling drops, and, yet more kind, He stroked her cheeks."
3.
To make smooth by rubbing.
4.
(Masonry) To give a finely fluted surface to.
5.
To row the stroke oar of; as, to stroke a boat.


Stroke  past  obs.. Struck.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Stroke" Quotes from Famous Books



... my wife in reality, as you are his in name and nothing else. It is idle to talk as if we were in some ordinary situation. There are plenty of countries that would disown such a marriage as yours, a mere ceremony obtained by fraud, and canceled by a stroke with a dagger and instant separation. Oh, my darling, don't sacrifice both our lives to a scruple that is out of place here. Don't hesitate; don't delay. I have a carriage waiting outside; end all our misery ...
— Put Yourself in His Place • Charles Reade
... unable to guess how his diabolical plot had been discovered, uncertain even whether the whole were not a concerted piece, he went on playing his part mechanically; with starting eyes and labouring chest, and lips that, twitching and working, lost colour each minute. At length he missed a stroke, and staggering leaned against the wall, his-face livid and ghastly. The King took the alarm at that, and cried out that something was wrong. Those who were sitting rose. I nodded to Maignan ...
— From the Memoirs of a Minister of France • Stanley Weyman
... have had a stroke," said Miss Cordelia, her arms around Mary; and looking at her brother she whispered, "I think something ...
— Mary Minds Her Business • George Weston
... alteration in a character, or the addition of a point, would distinguish different sounds without the substitution of a new character. Thus a very small stroke across th would distinguish its two sounds. A point over a vowel in this manner, [.a] or [.o] or [i], might answer all the purposes of different letters. And for the diphthong ow let the two letters be united by a small stroke, or both engraven on the same piece of metal, with the ...
— Noah Webster - American Men of Letters • Horace E. Scudder
... With each stroke of the oars, the force of the waves raised the bow of the boat. The water, which was blacker than ink, ran furiously along the sides. It formed abysses and then mountains, over which the boat glided, ...
— Three short works - The Dance of Death, The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller, A Simple Soul. • Gustave Flaubert


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