stroke

stroke¹ S3 [strəuk US strouk] n

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1¦(illness)¦

2¦(swimming/rowing)¦

3¦(sport)¦

4¦(pen/brush)¦

5 at a/one stroke

6 on the stroke of seven/nine etc

7 stroke of luck/fortune

8 stroke of genius/inspiration etc

9¦(hit)¦

10¦(a movement of your hand)¦

11 with/at a stroke of the pen

12 not do a stroke (of work)

13 stroke of lightning

14¦(clock/bell)¦

15 put somebody off their stroke

16¦(in numbers)¦

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[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: Probably from an unrecorded Old English strac]

1.) ¦(ILLNESS)¦

if someone has a stroke, an ↑artery (=tube carrying blood) in their brain suddenly bursts or becomes blocked, so that they may die or be unable to use some muscles

▪ She died following a massive stroke.

have/suffer a stroke

▪ I looked after my father after he had a stroke.

▪ a stroke patient

2.) ¦(SWIMMING/ROWING)¦

a) one of a set of movements in swimming or rowing in which you move your arms or the ↑oar forward and then back

▪ She swam with strong steady strokes.

b) a style of swimming or rowing

▪ the breast stroke

3.) ¦(SPORT)¦

the action of hitting the ball in games such as tennis, ↑golf, and ↑cricket

▪ a backhand stroke

4.) ¦(PEN/BRUSH)¦

a) a single movement of a pen or brush when you are writing or painting

▪ A few strokes of her pen brought out his features clearly.

b) a line made by a pen or brush

▪ the thick downward strokes of the characters

5.) at a/one stroke

with a single sudden action

▪ At one stroke the country lost two outstanding leaders.

6.) on the stroke of seven/nine etc

at exactly seven o'clock etc

▪ She arrived home on the stroke of midnight.

▪ The only goal of the match came on the stroke of half-time.

7.) stroke of luck/fortune

something lucky that happens to you unexpectedly

▪ In a stroke of luck, a suitable organ donor became available.

8.) stroke of genius/inspiration etc

a very good idea about what to do to solve a problem

▪ It was a stroke of genius to film the movie in Toronto.

9.) ¦(HIT)¦

an action of hitting someone with something such as a whip or thin stick

▪ He cried out at each stroke of the whip.

10.)¦(A MOVEMENT OF YOUR HAND)¦

a gentle movement of your hand over something

▪ I gave her hair a gentle stroke .

11.) with/at a stroke of the pen

if someone in authority does something with a stroke of the pen, they sign an official document to make a decision with important and serious results

▪ He had the power to order troops home with a stroke of his pen.

12.) not do a stroke (of work)

BrE informal to not do any work at all

13.) stroke of lightning

a bright flash of lightning, especially one that hits something

14.) ¦(CLOCK/BELL)¦

a single sound made by a clock giving the hours, or by a bell, ↑gong etc

15.) put sb off their stroke

BrE informal to make someone stop giving all their attention to what they are doing

▪ Seeing Frank watching me put me off my stroke.

16.) ¦(IN NUMBERS)¦

BrE used when you are saying a number written with the mark (/) in it

= ↑slash

▪ The serial number is seventeen stroke one. (=17/1)

stroke ²

stroke² v [T]

[Sense: 1-2,4; Origin: Old English stracian]

[Sense: 3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: STROKE¹]

1.) to move your hand gently over something

▪ He reached out and stroked her cheek tenderly.

2.) [always + adverb/preposition]

to move something somewhere with gentle movements of your hand

▪ He lifted her face and stroked her hair from her eyes.

3.) [always + adverb/preposition]

to hit or kick a ball with a smooth movement in games such as tennis, golf, and ↑cricket

▪ He stroked the ball into an empty net with a minute to go.

4.) stroke sb's ego

to say nice things to someone to make them feel good, especially because you want something from them