Dictionary

stroke

Pronunciation

(RP) IPA: /stɹəʊk/
(America) enPR: strōk, IPA: /stɹoʊk/

Etymology 1

The noun is derived from Middle English strok, stroke, from Old English strāc, from Proto-West Germanic *straik, from Proto-Germanic *straikaz, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg-.

Sense 3.6.2.2 (“the oblique, slash, or virgule (‘/’)”) is a contraction of oblique stroke, a variant of oblique which was originally used in telegraphy.

The verb is derived from the noun.

German Streich
Middle Low German strēk
Scots strak, strake, straik

Noun

stroke (plural strokes)

An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
Synonyms: beat
a stroke on the chin
- 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC ↗, page 142 ↗:
  Hee paſſed the vvhole length of Italie vvithout reſiſtance, […] He likevviſe entred and vvonne (in effect) the vvhole Kingdome of Naples it ſelfe, vvithout ſtriking ſtroke.
- 1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of Imagination”, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC ↗, 1st part (Of Man), page 5 ↗:
  But becauſe amongſt many ſtroaks, vvhich our eyes, eares, and other organs receive from external bodies, the predominant onely is ſenſible; therefore the light of the Sun being predominant, vve are not affected vvith the action of the ſtarrs.
- 1659–1660, Thomas Stanley, “[Epicurus: The Second Part of Philosophy.] Chapter IV. Of the Generation of the World.”, in The History of Philosophy, the Third and Last Volume, […], volume III, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC ↗, 5th part (Containing the Epicurean Sect), section II (Of the World), page 171 ↗:
  [A]fter the impulſive force, vvhich drove them upvvard, grevv languid, nor vvas there any other ſtroak, vvhich might toſſe them that vvay, the Atoms themſelves, endeavouring to go dovvn again, met vvith obſacles from others, vvhereupon they flevv about vvith greater activity, […]
- 1799 (date written), W[illiam] Wordsworth, “Lucy Gray”, in Lyrical Ballads, with Other Poems. […], 2nd edition, London: […] T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Co., […], published 1800, →OCLC ↗, page 65 ↗:
  With many a wanton stroke / Her feet disperse the powd'ry snow / That rises up like smoke.
1. An act of striking with a weapon; a blow.
  In Singapore, acts of vandalism like graffiti are Vandalism Act in addition to imprisonment.
  - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗, stanza 30, page 265 ↗:
    Their mightie ſtrokes their haberieons diſmayld, / And naked made each others manly ſpalles; […]
  - 1695, William Temple, An Introduction to the History of England, London: […] Richard Simpson […], and Ralph Simpson […], →OCLC ↗, page 13 ↗:
    No Perſon vvas puniſhed by Bonds, Strokes, or Death, vvithout the Judgment and Sentence of the Druids: […]
  - 1806, William Wordsworth, “The Horn of Egremont Castle”, in Poems, in Two Volumes, volume I, London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […], published 1807, →OCLC ↗, page 40 ↗:
    Side by side they fought (the Lucies / Were a line for valour fam'd) / And where'er their strokes alighted / There the Saracens were tam'd.
  - 1829 May, [Walter Scott], chapter VIII, in Anne of Geierstein; or, The Maiden of the Mist. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Company] for Cadell and Co., […]; London: Simpkin and Marshall, […], →OCLC ↗, page 226 ↗:
    When this idea intruded on the train of romantic visions which agitated him, it was like the sharp stroke of the harpoon, which awakens the whale from torpidity into violent action.
  - 1862 July – 1863 August, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Prisoners”, in Romola. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1863, →OCLC ↗, book II, page 21 ↗:
    The men who held the ropes were French soldiers, and by broken Italian phrases and strokes from the knotted end of a rope, they from time to time stimulated their prisoners to beg.
2. A single movement with a tool; also, an impact of a tool on an object.
  - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Deuteronomy 19:5 ↗, column 2:
    [W]hen a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor, to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a ſtroke with the axe to cut downe the tree, and the head ſlippeth from the helue, and lighteth vpon his neighbour that he die, he ſhall flee vnto one of thoſe cities, and liue: […]
  - 1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗, page 129 ↗, lines 253–255:
    VVith lifted Arms they order ev'ry Blovv, / And chime their ſounding Hammers in a Rovv; / VVith ſtrokes of Anvils Ætna groans belovv.
  - 1834–1838 (date written), Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Horatius”, in Lays of Ancient Rome, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1842, →OCLC ↗, stanza 7, page 49 ↗:
    But now no stroke of woodman / Is heard by Auser's rill; […]
3. An act, or the sound, of the clapper or hammer of a clock hitting a bell or other striking mechanism; hence, the time when such a strike occurs.
  on the stroke of midnight
  - 1843 December 18, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC ↗, page 35 ↗:
    Expect the second [ghost] on the next night at the same hour. The third upon the next night when the last stroke of twelve has ceased to vibrate. Look to see me no more; and look that, for your own sake, you remember what has passed between us!
4. (ball games) An act of hitting or trying to hit a ball; also, the manner in which this is done.
  1. (cricket) The action of hitting the ball with the bat; a shot.
  2. (golf) A single act of striking at the ball with a club; also, at matchplay, a shot deducted from a player's score at a hole as a result of a handicapping system.
  3. (squash) A point awarded to a player in case of interference or obstruction by the opponent.
  4. (tennis) The hitting of a ball with a racket; also, the movement of the racket and arm that produces that impact.
A movement similar to that of hitting.
1. One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished.
  the stroke of a bird’s wing in flying
  1. (rowing)
    1. The movement of an oar or paddle through water, either the pull which actually propels the boat, or a single entire cycle of movement including the pull; also, the manner in which such movements are made; a rowing style.
    2. (by extension) The rower who is nearest the stern of the boat, the movement of whose oar sets the rowing rhythm for the other rowers; also, the position in the boat occupied by this rower.
  2. (swimming) A specific combination of movements of the arms and legs which, when repeated, causes the swimmer to advance through the water; also, the manner in which such movements are made; a swimming style.
    butterfly stroke
    - 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC ↗, pages 165–166 ↗:
      Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern.
2. A beat or throb, as of the heart or pulse.
  Synonyms: pulsation
  - 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part VI”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, page 157 ↗:
    [I]n true marriage lies / Nor equal, nor unequal: each fulfils / Defect in each, and always thought in thought, / Purpose in purpose, will in will, they grow, / The single pure and perfect animal, / The two-cell'd heart beating, with one full stroke / Life.
3. (technology) A single movement or thrust of a part (such as a piston) of a machine that moves back and forth; also, the length of this movement.
  1. (by extension) A thrust of the penis during sexual intercourse.
(figuratively)
1. An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
  the stroke of death
  - a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Magnyfycence, a Goodly Interlude and a Mery, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC ↗, page 287 ↗, lines 1908–1911:
    The stroke of God, Aduersyte I hyght; / I pluke downe kynge, prynce, lorde, and knyght, / I rushe at them rughly, and make them ly full lowe, / And in theyr moste truste i make them ouerthrowe.
  - 1612 January 5 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Francis Beaumont, Iohn Fletcher, A King and No King. […], London: […] [John Beale] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1619, →OCLC ↗, Act I, page 4 ↗:
    Sheele make you ſhrinke as I did, vvith a ſtroke / But of her eye Tigranes.
  - 1667, John Milton, “Book IX ↗”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗, lines 470–471:
    So judg'd he Man, both Judge and Saviour ſent, / And th' inſtant ſtroke of Death denounc'd that day / Remov'd farr off; […]
  - 1785–1786 (date written; published 1786), Robert Burns, “The Cotter's Saturday Night”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, 2nd edition, volume II, Edinburgh: […] T[homas] Cadell, […], and William Creech, […], published 1793, →OCLC ↗, stanza XIV, page 12 ↗:
    [H]ovv the royal Bard did groaning lye, / Beneath the ſtroke of Heaven's avenging ire; […]
  - 1860, George Augustus Sala, “Philip Leslie”, in The Baddington Peerage: Who Won, and Who Wore It. A Story of the Best and the Worst Society. […], volume I, London: Charles J. Skeet, […], →OCLC ↗, page 306 ↗:
    The Professor, treating the murderous assault upon him by Juan Manuel Harispe very lightly, and regarding it simply as a significant point d'arrêt to his gallantries towards Manuelita, not to be passed over in its portents any more than the first stroke of disease which attacks thrice before it kills, limited his arrangement of precautionary measures to giving Señor Harispe, his niece, and his establishment a very wide berth; […]
2. A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
  - 1686 April 25 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 15 April 1686]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC ↗, page 626 ↗:
    The Abp. [Archbishop] of York [John Dolben] now died of y^e small pox, aged 62, a corpulent man. […] I looke on this as a greate stroke to y^e poore Church of England, now in this defecting period.
  - 1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The Unprotected”, in Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume I, Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC ↗, page 145 ↗:
    Tom's whole soul was filled with thoughts of eternity; and while he ministered around the lifeless clay, he did not once think that the sudden stroke had left him in hopeless slavery.
3. An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
  a stroke of business
  - 1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “Kentuck”, in Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume I, Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC ↗, page 59 ↗:
    ["]But I'm gwine, Mas'r George,—gwine to have four dollars a week; and Missis is gwine to lay it all up, to buy back my old man agin!" / "Whew!" said George, "here's a stroke of business, to be sure! How are you going [to Louisville]?"
4. A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done or produced; also, something accomplished by such an effort; an achievement, a feat.
  a stroke of genius
5. A movement of a brush in painting, of a chisel in carving, of a pen, pencil, or such implement in drawing or writing, etc., in one direction; hence, a line or mark made on a surface by such an implement.
  - 1762, Horace Walpole, “Painters and Other Artists in the Reign of James I”, in Anecdotes of Painting in England; […], volume II, London: […] Thomas Farmer […], →OCLC ↗, footnote †, page 38 ↗:
    Among other branches of ſcience, if one can call it ſo, Mr. [John] Evelyn ſtudied Phyſiognomy, and found diſſimulation, boldneſs, cruelty and ambition in every touch and ſtroke of [Isaac] Fuller's picture of Oliver Cromvvell's face, vvhich he ſays, vvas the moſt reſembling portrait of the Protector.
  1. (linguistics) A line making up a written character; specifically, a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean character.
  2. (typography)
    1. (computing) In Unicode: the formal name of the individual horizontal strikethroughs (as in "A̶").
    2. (Britain) The oblique, slash, or virgule ("/").
6. A distinctive expression in a written composition; a touch. [from 17th c.]
  to give some finishing strokes to an essay
7. (chiefly, archaic) Influence; power.
  - 1551, Thomas More, “The Fyrste Boke of the Communycacion of Raphaell Hythlodaye Concernynge the Best State of a Commen Wealthe ↗”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], →OCLC ↗:
    [W]here ſoeuer poſſeſſyons be pryuate, where moneye beareth all the ſtroke, it is hard and almoſte impoſſyble that there the weale publyque maye iuſtelye be gouerned and proſperouſlye floryſhe: […]
  - 1564 February, Erasmus, “The Saiynges of Philippus Kyng of Macedonie”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., Apophthegmes, that is to Saie, Prompte, Quicke, Wittie and Sentẽcious Saiynges, […], London: […] Ihon Kingston, →OCLC ↗, book II, folio 122, recto ↗, paragraph 16:
    Theſame Alexander, be auiſed and coũſailed, that he ſhould winne and make frendes vnto him, all ſuche perſones both honeſt and vnhoneſt, good and badde, as beare any rule, ſtroke or autoritte, in the commen weale, and that the good men he ſhould vſe, and the euil perſones he ſhould abuſe, that is to ſaie, applie to ſome good vſe, that of theimſelfes they are not apte nor inclined vnto.
  - 1700, [John] Dryden, “Preface ↗”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗:
    For I find by Experience he has a great Stroke vvith the Reader, vvhen he condemns any of my Poems to make the VVorld have a better Opinion of them.
  1. (professional wrestling) Backstage influence.
8. (turn-based games) A masterful or effective action.
  Synonyms: masterstroke
(medicine) The loss of brain function arising when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted.
Synonyms: cerebrovascular accident, CVA
suffer a stroke
(sciences) An individual discharge of lightning, particularly if causing damage.
A flash of lightning may be made up of several strokes. If they are separated by enough time for the eye to distinguish them, the lightning will appear to flicker.
An individual social interaction whereby one gives another attention or recognition.
(obsolete)
1. The effect or result of a striking; affliction or injury; a bruise or wound; soreness.
  - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Isaiah 30:26 ↗, column 2:
    Moreover the light of the Moone ſhalbe as the light of the Sunne, and the light of the Sunne ſhall be ſeuenfold, as the light of ſeuen dayes, in the day that the Lord bindeth vp the breach of his people, and healeth the ſtroke of their wound.
2. Chiefly in to have a good stroke: appetite.
  - 1699, William Dampier, “Of the Government of Tonquin. […]”, in Voyages and Descriptions. Vol. II. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC ↗, part I (His Voyage from Achin in Sumatra, to Tonquin, […]), page 71 ↗:
    [N]either can any man be entertain'd as a Soldier, that has not a greater ſtroke than ordinary at eating: for by this they judge of his ſtrength and conſtitution.
  - 1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue II”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738, →OCLC ↗, page 150 ↗:
    Lady Answ[erall]. God bleſs you, Colonel; you have a good Stroke vvith you. / Col[onel Atwit]. O Madam; formerly I could eat all, but novv I leave nothing; I eat but one Meal a Day.
3. (medicine) A sudden attack of any illness, especially if causing loss of consciousness or movement, or when fatal.
  a stroke of apoplexy
4. (music) A bow or pluck of a string or strings of a stringed instrument; also, the manner in which a musical instrument is played; hence, a melody, a tune.
  - 1667 March 22 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Epistolary Correspondence.] To Abraham Cowley, Esq.”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC ↗, part I, page 175 ↗:
    Or can he desire a nobler or a fuller Argument either for the softest Aires or the loudest Echoes, for the smoothest or briskest strokes of his Pindaric Lyre?

Translations

French: coup
German: Schlag, Hieb
Italian: colpo
Portuguese: pancada, ataque
Russian: уда́р
Spanish: golpe

Translations

French: coup
German: Streich
Italian: colpo
Portuguese: pancada
Russian: уда́р

Translations

French: coup, course
Italian: colpo
Portuguese: tacada
Spanish: golpe

Translations

German: Schlag
Italian: rintocco
Portuguese: badalada
Russian: уда́р

Translations

Italian: colpo, giocata
Russian: уда́р

Translations

German: Schlag
Italian: colpo
Portuguese: tacada
Russian: уда́р
Spanish: golpe

Translations

German: Schlag
Italian: battuta
Portuguese: raquetada
Russian: уда́р

Translations

German: Schlag
Italian: voga, vogata, palata, colpo di remo
Portuguese: remada
Russian: гребо́к
Spanish: remada

Translations

German: Schlagmann
Italian: capovoga

Translations

French: brasse
German: Schlag, Zug
Italian: bracciata
Portuguese: estilo (de nado/natação)
Spanish: brazada

Translations

French: temps, course
German: Hub
Italian: corsa, tempo

Translations

Portuguese: pancada

Translations

French: trait
German: Strich, Federstrich, Zug (rare)
Italian: tratto
Portuguese: traço
Russian: штрих
Spanish: trazo

Translations

German: Strich
Italian: pennellata
Portuguese: pincelada
Russian: мазо́к
Spanish: pincelada

Translations

French: trait
German: Strich
Russian: черта́
Spanish: trazo

Translations

French: accident vasculaire cérébral, attaque cérébrale, AVC, infarctus
German: Schlaganfall, Hirninfarkt, Hirnschlag, Apoplexie, (short form, colloquial) Apoplex, (colloquial) Schlagerl
Italian: accidente cerebrovascolare, colpo apoplettico, ictus
Portuguese: derrame, acidente vascular cerebral
Russian: парали́ч
Spanish: apoplejía, accidente cerebro vascular (ACV), derrame (most common), ictus, derrame cerebral

Verb

stroke (strokes, present participle stroking; simple past and past participle stroked)

(transitive)
1. To draw the horizontal line across the upright part (of the letter t).
2. Followed by out or through: to draw a line or lines through (text) to indicate that it is deleted; to cancel, to strike or strike out.
3. (poetic, rare) Of a bell or clock: to chime or sound to indicate (the hour, the time, etc.).
4. (rare) To mark (something) with lines or stripes; to stripe.
5. (ball games) To hit or kick (the ball) with a flowing or smooth motion; also, to score (a goal, a point, etc.) by doing so.
6. (rowing)
  1. Of a rower or a crew: to row at (a rate of a certain number of stroke per minute).
  2. To act as the stroke of (a boat or its crew).
    to stroke a boat
7. (swimming) To strike (the water) with one's arms and legs when swimming.
8. (obsolete) To depict (something) with a paintbrush.
(intransitive)
1. (medicine) Chiefly followed by out: to suffer loss of brain function when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted; to have a stroke (noun sense 4).
2. (swimming) To swim by making co-ordinated movements with the arms and legs.

Etymology 2

The verb is derived from Middle English stroken, straken [and other forms], from Old English strācian, from Proto-West Germanic *straikōn, from *straik (see further at etymology 1) + *-ōn.

The noun is derived from the verb.

German streicheln
nds-de straken, strieken, strakeln, striekeln
Middle Low German strēken, Middle Dutch strēken (modern Dutch streeken)
Old High German strīhhan, streihhōn, Middle High German strīchen (modern German streichen)
Saterland Frisian strookje
Western Frisian streakje

Verb

stroke (strokes, present participle stroking; simple past and past participle stroked) (transitive)

To move one's hand or an object (such as a broom or brush) along (a surface) in one direction, touching it lightly; to caress.
- 1660 July 16 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 6 July 1660]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC ↗, pages 323–324 ↗:
  His Majestie began first to touch for y^e evil, according to custome, thus: his Ma^tie sitting under his State in y^e Banquetting House, the Chirurgeons cause the sick to be brought or led up to the throne, where they kneeling, y^e King strokes their faces or cheekes with both his hands at once, at which instant a Chaplaine in his formalities says, "He put his hands upon them and he healed them."
- 1700, [John] Dryden, “Cinyras and Myrrha, out of the Tenth Book of Ovid’s Metamorphosis”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗, page 177 ↗:
  The tender Sire, vvho ſavv her bluſh, and cry, / Aſcrib'd it all to Maiden-modeſty, / And dry'd the falling Drops, and yet more kind, / He ſtroak'd her Cheeks, and holy Kiſſes join'd.
- 1788, Edward Gibbon, “Description of Arabia and Its Inhabitants. […]”, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume V, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC ↗, page 183 ↗:
  The gravity and firmneſs of the mind is conſpicuous in his outvvard demeanor: his ſpeech is ſlovv, vveighty, and conciſe, he is ſeldom provoked to laughter, his only geſture is that of ſtroking his beard, the venerable ſymbol of manhood; and the ſenſe of his ovvn importance teaches him to accoſt his equals vvithout levity, and his ſuperiors vvithout avve.
- 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Animals of the Hare Kind. [The Guinea-pig.]”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume IV, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC ↗, page 53 ↗:
  It [the guinea pig] ſtrokes its head vvith the fore feet like the rabbit; and, like it, ſits upon the hind feet; […]
- 1911 October 26, Max Beerbohm, chapter XVI, in Zuleika Dobson, or, An Oxford Love Story, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: John Lane Company, published 1912, →OCLC ↗, page 248 ↗:
  Softly she stroked the carpet with the palms of her hands. "Happy carpet!" she crooned. "Aye, happy the very women that wove the threads that are trod by the feet of my beloved master. […]"
(also, figuratively) To bring (something) to a certain condition by stroking (sense 1).
(figuratively)
1. (especially, psychoanalysis) To give assurance to (someone) through encouragement.
  - 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii], page 4 ↗, column 2:
    [W]hen thou cam'ſt firſt / Thou ſtroakſt me, & made much of me: […]
2. (by extension, chiefly, US, politics) To influence (someone) by convincing or flattering them.
(agriculture) To milk (a cow or other animal); especially, to squeeze the teat of (a cow, etc.) to extract the last bit of milk from the udder; to strap (dialectal), to strip.
(masonry) To give a finely fluted surface to (stone) by carving it with a tool.
(obsolete)
1. To sharpen (a knife or other cutting instrument) by honing or rubbing it against a surface.
2. (figuratively) To soothe (someone); also, to flatter or indulge (someone).

Conjugation

Conjugation of stroke

infinitive	(to) stroke
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	stroke	stroked
2nd-person singular	stroke, strokest^†	stroked, strokedst^†
3rd-person singular	strokes, stroketh^†	stroked
plural	stroke	stroked

subjunctive	stroke	stroked

imperative	stroke	—

participles	stroking	stroked

^†Archaic or obsolete.

Translations

French: caresser
German: streicheln, streichen
Italian: accarezzare
Portuguese: acariciar
Russian: гла́дить
Spanish: acariciar

Noun

stroke (plural strokes)

An act of moving one's hand or an object along a surface in one direction, touching it lightly; a caress.
She gave the cat a stroke.
(figuratively)
1. A gesture of assurance given as encouragement; specifically (psychoanalysis) in transactional analysis: a (generally positive) reaction expressed to a person which fulfils their desires or needs.
  - 2009, Mark Widdowson, Transactional Analysis: 100 Key Points and Techniques, page 246:
    Not providing a stroke to a client can sometimes facilitate the client in becoming aware of their neediness or desire for approval. By not giving a stroke, the client's need is brought to the surface, where it is amenable to change, […]
2. (chiefly, US) A flattering or friendly act, comment, etc., done or made to a person to influence them.

Translations

French: caresse
Italian: carezza
Portuguese: carícia, cafuné
Russian: погла́живание
Spanish: caricia

This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.003