stroke
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
stroke/strəʊk/
▶noun
- 1 an act of hitting: he received three strokes of the cane.
■ Golf an act of hitting the ball with a club, as a unit of scoring.
■ a sound made by a striking clock.
- 2 a mark made by drawing a pen, pencil, or paintbrush once across paper or canvas.
■ a line forming part of a written or printed character.
■ a short diagonal line separating characters or figures.
- 3 an act of stroking.
- 4 one of a series of repeated movements.
■ the whole motion of a piston in either direction.
■ a style of moving the arms and legs in swimming.
■ the mode or action of moving the oar in rowing.
■ (also stroke oar) the oarsman nearest the stern, setting the timing for the other rowers.
- 5 a sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain.
- 1 move one's hand with gentle pressure over (a surface).
- 2 N. Amer. informal manipulate by means of flattery or persuasion.
- 3 act as the stroke of (a boat or crew).
– phrases
at a (or one) stroke by a single action having immediate effect.
not (or never) do a stroke of work do no work at all.
on the stroke of —— precisely at the specified time.
put someone off their stroke disconcert someone so that they make a mistake or hesitate.
stroke of genius an outstandingly original idea.
stroke of luck (or good luck) a fortunate unexpected occurrence.
at a (or one) stroke by a single action having immediate effect.
not (or never) do a stroke of work do no work at all.
on the stroke of —— precisely at the specified time.
put someone off their stroke disconcert someone so that they make a mistake or hesitate.
stroke of genius an outstandingly original idea.
stroke of luck (or good luck) a fortunate unexpected occurrence.
– derivatives
strokeable adjective,
stroker noun.
strokeable adjective,
stroker noun.
'stroke' also found in these Oxford entries:
apoplectic
- apoplexy
- approach shot
- backhand
- backhander
- backlift
- backstroke
- bell
- bill
- birdie
- bisque
- blow
- boast
- bogey
- bow
- break
- butterfly
- cannon
- caress
- chime
- coup
- coup de foudre
- coup de grâce
- coup de main
- coup d'œil
- crab
- crawl
- cut
- dash
- demulcent
- digamma
- dint
- divot
- doggy-paddle
- downstroke
- drag
- drumbeat
- effleurage
- expansion
- flam
- flatter
- fluke
- follow
- follow-through
- fondle
- forehand
- forehanded
- foul
- four-stroke
- glance

