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stroke

It's a stroke of luck, or chance event, to find a terrific parking space on a rainy day, but no one feels lucky when their grandfather has a stroke, a sudden debilitating loss of oxygen to the brain.

Stroke is a high value word — many meanings, yet rarely misunderstood in context. You can swim a certain stroke (or just doggie paddle), you can stroke a cat's fur, you can figuratively stroke your boss's ego by flattering him, or you can have a stroke of brilliance and solve world hunger. Hopefully you won't suffer a stroke and need hospitalization. Its origin as a medical term goes back to the 1500s when it was shortened from "the Stroke of God's Hand."

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: stroke

1	n v	a single complete movement touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions
2	n v	(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand strike a ball with a smooth blow
3	n v	the oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew row at a particular rate
4	n	a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain
5	n	a mark made on a surface by a pen, pencil, or paintbrush
6	n	anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: stroke

n a single complete movement

Types:: show 28 types...; hide 28 types...; key stroke, keystroke
the stroke of a key; one depression of a key on a keyboard; beat
a stroke or blow; bow
a stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments; blow
a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon; backhander
a backhanded blow; clip
a sharp slanting blow; belt, knock, rap, whack, whang
the act of hitting vigorously; thwack
a hard blow with a flat object; slap, smack, smacking
the act of smacking something; a blow delivered with an open hand; smacker
a very powerful blow with the fist; knockdown
a blow that knocks the opponent off his feet; KO, kayo, knockout
a blow that renders the opponent unconscious; swat
a sharp blow; lash, whip, whiplash
a quick blow delivered with a whip or whiplike object; biff, clout, lick, poke, punch, slug
(boxing) a blow with the fist; box
a blow with the hand (usually on the ear); boot, kick, kicking
the act of delivering a blow with the foot; down-bow
a downward stroke from the heel to the tip of the bow; up-bow
an upward stroke from the tip to the heel of the bow; counterblow
a return blow; a retaliatory blow; swing
a sweeping blow or stroke; knife thrust, stab, thrust
a strong blow with a knife or other sharp pointed instrument; stinger
a sharp stinging blow; thump
a heavy blow with the hand; uppercut
a swinging blow directed upward (especially at an opponent's chin); hammer, hammering, pound, pounding
the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows); shot
a blow hard enough to cause injury; wallop
a severe blow

Type of:: motility, motion, move, movement
a change of position that does not entail a change of location

n any one of the repeated movements of the limbs and body used for locomotion in swimming or rowing

Types:: show 8 types...; hide 8 types...; swimming stroke
a method of moving the arms and legs to push against the water and propel the swimmer forward; Australian crawl, crawl, front crawl
a swimming stroke; arms are moved alternately overhead accompanied by a flutter kick; dog paddle
an elementary swimming stroke imitating a swimming dog; sidestroke
a swimming stroke in which the arms move forward and backward while the legs do a scissors kick; butterfly, butterfly stroke
a swimming stroke in which the arms are thrown forward together out of the water while the feet kick up and down; breaststroke
a swimming stroke; the arms are extended together in front of the head and swept back on either side accompanied by a frog kick; backstroke
a swimming stroke that resembles the crawl except the swimmer lies on his or her back; treading water
a stroke that keeps the head above water by thrashing the legs and arms

Type of:: locomotion, travel
self-propelled movement

n the maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam

Synonyms:: cam stroke, throw

Types:: instroke
the stroke of an engine piston moving away from the crankshaft; outstroke
the stroke of an engine piston moving toward the crankshaft

Type of:: motion, movement
a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something

n a light touch

Type of:: touch, touching
the event of something coming in contact with the body

n a light touch with the hands

Synonyms:: stroking

Types:: caress
a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it)

Type of:: touch, touching
the act of putting two things together with no space between them

v touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions

“He stroked his long beard”

Types:: show 11 types...; hide 11 types...; caress, fondle
touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner; lap, lick
pass the tongue over; paw
touch clumsily; grope
fondle for sexual pleasure; dandle
pet; pet
stroke or caress in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking; chuck, pat
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin; nose, nuzzle
rub noses; pet
stroke or caress gently; tickle
touch or stroke lightly; tongue
lick or explore with the tongue

Type of:: touch
make physical contact with, come in contact with

v treat gingerly or carefully

“You have to stroke the boss”

Type of:: blandish, flatter
praise somewhat dishonestly

n (sports) 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”

Synonyms:: shot

Types:: show 21 types...; hide 21 types...; break
the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool; cannon, carom
a shot in billiards in which the cue ball contacts one object ball and then the other; masse, masse shot
a shot in billiards made by hitting the cue ball with the cue held nearly vertically; the cue ball spins around another ball before hitting the object ball; miscue
a faulty shot in billiards; the cue tip slips off the cue ball; cut, undercut
(sports) a stroke that puts reverse spin on the ball; swipe
a sweeping stroke or blow; tennis shot, tennis stroke
the act of hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racket; baseball swing, cut, swing
in baseball; a batter's attempt to hit a pitched ball; golf shot, golf stroke, swing
the act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and (usually) hitting it; return
a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player; serve, service
(sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play; downswing
a swing downward of a golf club; fade, slice, slicing
a golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer; draw, hook, hooking
a golf shot that curves to the left for a right-handed golfer; drive, driving
hitting a golf ball off of a tee with a driver; explosion
a golf shot from a bunker that typically moves sand as well as the golf ball; putt, putting
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter; approach, approach shot
a relatively short golf shot intended to put the ball onto the putting green; sclaff
a poor golf stroke in which the club head hits the ground before hitting the ball; shank
a poor golf stroke in which the heel of the club hits the ball; teeoff
the act of hitting a golf ball from the teeing ground at the start of each hole

Type of:: maneuver, manoeuvre, play
a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill

n (golf) the unit of scoring in golf is the act of hitting the ball with a club

“Nicklaus won by three strokes”

Type of:: score
a number that expresses the accomplishment of a team or an individual in a game or contest

v strike a ball with a smooth blow

Type of:: hit, strike
make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target

n the oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew

Type of:: oarsman, rower
someone who rows a boat

v row at a particular rate

Type of:: row
propel with oars

n a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain

Synonyms:: CVA, apoplexy, cerebrovascular accident

Types:: ischaemic stroke, ischemic stroke
the most common kind of stroke; caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain (as from a clot blocking a blood vessel); haemorrhagic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke
stroke caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain

Type of:: attack
a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition

n a mark made on a surface by a pen, pencil, or paintbrush

“she applied the paint in careful strokes”

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; downstroke
a stroke normally made in a downward direction; upstroke
a stroke normally made in an upward direction; flick
a short stroke; underline, underscore
a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

Type of:: mark, print
a visible indication made on a surface

n a punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information

Synonyms:: diagonal, separatrix, slash, solidus, virgule

Type of:: punctuation, punctuation mark
the marks used to clarify meaning by indicating separation of words into sentences and clauses and phrases

n anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

“the pregnancy was a stroke of bad luck”

Synonyms:: accident, chance event, fortuity

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; hap
an accidental happening; break, good luck, happy chance
an unexpected piece of good luck; coincidence, happenstance
an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental; lottery
something that is regarded as a chance event

Type of:: happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent
an event that happens

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