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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



... as well as I could, that I desired his son might be pardoned. The father complied, and the lad took his seat again, whereupon I went to him and kissed his hand, which my master took, and made him stroke me gently with it. ...
— The Junior Classics, V5 • Edited by William Patten
... necessary to be punctual to a second, for there everybody breathes by the State-house clock If you make an appointment to meet anywhere, your body must be in a right line with the frame of the door at the instant the first stroke of the great clock sounds. If you are a moment later, your character is gone. It is useless to plead the evidence of your watch, or detention by a friend. You read your condemnation in the action of the old fellows who, with ...
— The Laws of Etiquette • A Gentleman
... pinions six their face in the glory of him who Hung his masonry pendant on naught, when the world he created. Earth declareth his might, and the firmament uttereth his glory. Races blossom and die, and stars fall downward from heaven, Downward like withered leaves: at the last stroke of midnight, millenniums Lay themselves down at his feet, and he sees them, but counts them as nothing. Who shall stand in his presence? The wrath of the Judge is terrific, Casting the insolent down at a glance. When he speaks in his anger Hillocks skip ...
— The Song of Hiawatha - An Epic Poem • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
... stroke. The mention of the terrible skipper and the skillful insinuation that he was one of them, made them straighten and ...
— Harrigan • Max Brand
... is finished and done with, but now some column commanders wish to push down into the south of the province and isolate the Court, if possible. Meetings are being held the whole time, but as Waldersee is coming up, nothing is to be done until his arrival. By one ingenious stroke—the sudden flight of the Court—the Chinese have turned the tables on allied Europe and made us all ridiculous. Any one might have anticipated something of this—there is a precedent in the histories. Yet history is only ...
— Indiscreet Letters From Peking • B. L. Putman Weale


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