STROKE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does stroke mean? 

• STROKE (noun)
  The noun STROKE has 12 senses:

1. (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand

2. the maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam

3. a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain

4. a light touch

5. a light touch with the hands

6. (golf) the unit of scoring in golf is the act of hitting the ball with a club

7. the oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew

8. anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

9. a punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information

10. a mark made on a surface by a pen, pencil, or paintbrush

11. any one of the repeated movements of the limbs and body used for locomotion in swimming or rowing

12. a single complete movement

  Familiarity information: STROKE used as a noun is familiar.

• STROKE (verb)
  The verb STROKE has 4 senses:

1. touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions

2. strike a ball with a smooth blow

3. row at a particular rate

4. treat gingerly or carefully

  Familiarity information: STROKE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STROKE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

shot; stroke

Context example:

he left me an almost impossible shot

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

maneuver; manoeuvre; play (a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill)

Meronyms (parts of "stroke"):

follow-through (the act of carrying a stroke to its natural completion)

Domain category:

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

break (the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool)

cannon; carom (a shot in billiards in which the cue ball contacts one object ball and then the other)

masse; masse shot (a shot in billiards made by hitting the cue ball with the cue held nearly vertically; the cue ball spins around another ball before hitting the object ball)

miscue (a faulty shot in billiards; the cue tip slips off the cue ball)

cut; undercut ((sports) a stroke that puts reverse spin on the ball)

swipe (a sweeping stroke or blow)

tennis shot; tennis stroke (the act of hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racket)

baseball swing; cut; swing (in baseball; a batter's attempt to hit a pitched ball)

golf shot; golf stroke; swing (the act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and (usually) hitting it)

Derivation:

stroke (strike a ball with a smooth blow)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

cam stroke; stroke; throw

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

motion; movement (a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

instroke (the stroke of an engine piston moving away from the crankshaft)

outstroke (the stroke of an engine piston moving toward the crankshaft)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

apoplexy; cerebrovascular accident; CVA; stroke

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

attack (a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition)

Meronyms (parts of "stroke"):

cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding from a ruptured blood vessel in the brain)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

ischaemic stroke; ischemic stroke (the most common kind of stroke; caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain (as from a clot blocking a blood vessel))

haemorrhagic stroke; hemorrhagic stroke (stroke caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A light touch

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

touch; touching (the event of something coming in contact with the body)

Derivation:

stroke (touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A light touch with the hands

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

stroke; stroking

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

touch; touching (the act of putting two things together with no space between them)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

caress (a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it))

Derivation:

stroke (touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(golf) the unit of scoring in golf is the act of hitting the ball with a club

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Context example:

Nicklaus won by three strokes

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

score (a number that expresses the accomplishment of a team or an individual in a game or contest)

Domain category:

golf; golf game (a game played on a large open course with 9 or 18 holes; the object is use as few strokes as possible in playing all the holes)

Sense 7

Meaning:

The oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

oarsman; rower (someone who rows a boat)

Derivation:

stroke (row at a particular rate)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

accident; chance event; fortuity; stroke

Context example:

it was due to an accident or fortuity

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

hap (an accidental happening)

break; good luck; happy chance (an unexpected piece of good luck)

coincidence; happenstance (an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental)

lottery (something that is regarded as a chance event)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

diagonal; separatrix; slash; solidus; stroke; virgule

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

punctuation; punctuation mark (the marks used to clarify meaning by indicating separation of words into sentences and clauses and phrases)

Sense 10

Meaning:

A mark made on a surface by a pen, pencil, or paintbrush

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

she applied the paint in careful strokes

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

mark; print (a visible indication made on a surface)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

downstroke (a stroke normally made in a downward direction)

upstroke (a stroke normally made in an upward direction)

flick (a short stroke)

underline; underscore (a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter))

Sense 11

Meaning:

Any one of the repeated movements of the limbs and body used for locomotion in swimming or rowing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

locomotion; travel (self-propelled movement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

swimming stroke (a method of moving the arms and legs to push against the water and propel the swimmer forward)

Sense 12

Meaning:

A single complete movement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("stroke" is a kind of...):

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stroke"):

key stroke; keystroke (the stroke of a key; one depression of a key on a keyboard)

beat (a stroke or blow)

bow (a stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments)

blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

• STROKE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

He stroked his long beard

Hypernyms (to "stroke" is one way to...):

touch (make physical contact with, come in contact with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stroke"):

caress; fondle (touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner)

lap; lick (pass the tongue over)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

stroke (a light touch with the hands)

stroke (a light touch)

stroking (a light touch with the hands)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Strike a ball with a smooth blow

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "stroke" is one way to...):

hit; strike (make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

stroke ((sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Row at a particular rate

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "stroke" is one way to...):

row (propel with oars)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

stroke (the oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Treat gingerly or carefully

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

You have to stroke the boss

Hypernyms (to "stroke" is one way to...):

blandish; flatter (praise somewhat dishonestly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot stroke Sue

 Context examples 

Blood thinners reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by reducing the formation of blood clots in your arteries and veins.

(Blood Thinners, NIH)

They may be genetic or be caused by a tumor or stroke.

(Neurodegenerative disorder, NCI Dictionary)

A little later I heard the stroke of oars, growing nearer and nearer, and the calls of a man.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Before White Fang could spring in and deliver the fatal stroke, and just as he was in the act of springing in, Collie arrived.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

During the follow-up period, Tawakol said 22 of the study participants suffered a heart attack or stroke.

(Biological Link Found Between Stress, Heart Disease, VOA)

Last year, a study claimed drinks with artificial sweeteners could increase a person’s risk of dementia or stroke.

(Artificial Sweeteners Can Still Lead to Obesity, Diabetes, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

No more wounded than you or I. The man has had a stroke, as I warned him.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

"It will be an immense care for Jo," said Meg, stroking the head of her one all-absorbing son.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Well, it was a odd thing, but when the animiles see us a-talkin' they lay down, and when I went over to Bersicker he let me stroke his ears same as ever.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

This is one of the causes of stroke.

(Carotid Artery Disease, NIH)