,noun, verb, stroked, strok⋅ing.| 1. | the act or an instance of striking, as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer; a blow. |
| 2. | a hitting of or upon anything. |
| 3. | a striking of a clapper or hammer, as on a bell. |
| 4. | the sound produced by this. |
| 5. | a throb or pulsation, as of the heart. |
| 6. | 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. |
| 7. | something likened to a blow in its effect, as in causing pain, injury, or death; an attack of apoplexy or paralysis. |
| 8. | a destructive discharge of lightning. |
| 9. | a vigorous movement, as if in dealing a blow. |
| 10. | 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. |
| 11. | a single complete movement, esp. one continuously repeated in some process. |
| 12. | Machinery.
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| 13. | Swimming.
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| 14. | Rowing.
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| 15. | a movement of a pen, pencil, brush, graver, or the like. |
| 16. | a mark traced by or as if by one movement of a pen, pencil, brush, or the like. |
| 17. | a distinctive or effective touch in a literary composition: His style revealed the stroke of a master. |
| 18. | a single or minimal act, piece, or amount of work, activity, etc.: to refuse to do a stroke of work. |
| 19. | an attempt to attain some object: a bold stroke for liberty. |
| 20. | a measure adopted for a particular purpose. |
| 21. | a keystroke: no more than 65 strokes to the line for business letters. |
| 22. | a feat or achievement: a stroke of genius. |
| 23. | a sudden or chance happening, as of luck or fortune. |
| 24. | to mark with a stroke or strokes, as of a pen; cancel, as by a stroke of a pen. |
| 25. | Rowing.
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| 26. | Sports. to hit (a ball), as with a deliberate, smooth swing of a bat or club. |
verb, stroked, strok⋅ing, noun | 1. | to pass the hand or an instrument over (something or somebody) lightly or with little pressure; rub gently, as in soothing or caressing. |
| 2. | Informal. to promote feelings of self-approval in; flatter. |
| 3. | an act or instance of stroking; a stroking movement. |
| 1. | a short oblique stroke (/) between two words indicating that whichever is appropriate may be chosen to complete the sense of the text in which they occur: The defendant and/or his/her attorney must appear in court. |
| 2. | a dividing line, as in dates, fractions, a run-in passage of poetry to show verse division, etc.: 3/21/27; 3/4; Sweetest love I do not go/For weariness of thee. |
A sudden loss of brain function caused by an interruption in the supply of blood to the brain. A ruptured blood vessel or cerebral thrombosis may cause the stroke, which can occur in varying degrees of severity from temporary paralysis and slurred speech to permanent brain damage and death.
stroke
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stroke 1 (strōk)
n.
A sudden severe attack, as of paralysis or sunstroke.
A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel to the brain, characterized by loss of muscular control, diminution or loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of the damage to the brain. Also called cerebral accident, cerebrovascular accident.
stroke
The oblique stroke character, "/", ASCII 47.
See ASCII for other synonyms.
[The Jargon File]
stroke
see at one stroke; no accounting for taste (different strokes for different folks); put one off one's stride (stroke).