WordWeb Online

1. (sport) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
   "it took two strokes to get out of the bunker";
   - shot
    
2. The maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam
   - throw, cam stroke
    
3. A sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain
   - apoplexy, cerebrovascular accident, CVA
    
4. A light touch with the hands
   - stroking
    
5. (golf) a unit of scoring, the act of hitting the ball with a club
   "Nicklaus won by three strokes"
    
6. The oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew
    
7. Anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause
   "the pregnancy was a stroke of bad luck";
   - accident, fortuity, chance event
    
8. A punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information
   - solidus [Brit, Cdn], slash, virgule, diagonal, separatrix
    
9. A mark made on a surface by a pen, pencil, or paintbrush
   "she applied the paint in careful strokes"
    
10. Any one of the repeated movements of the limbs and body used for locomotion in swimming or rowing
     
11. A single complete movement

1. Touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions
   "He stroked his long beard"
    
2. Strike a ball with a smooth blow
    
3. Row at a particular rate
    
4. Treat gingerly or carefully
   "You have to stroke the boss"

Derived forms: stroked, stroking, strokes

Type of: attack, blandish, flatter, happening, hit, locomotion, maneuver [US], manoeuvre [Brit, Cdn], mark, motility, motion, move, movement, natural event, oarsman, occurrence, occurrent, play, print, punctuation, punctuation mark [Brit], row, rower, score, strike, touch, touching, travel

Encyclopedia: Stroke