stroke

/stroʊk/
verb
  1. To move your hand gently over something, usually as a sign of affection or to calm someone or something.
    • She stroked the dog's head until it fell asleep.
    • The cat loves to be stroked under its chin.
    • He stroked her hair and whispered softly.
  2. To hit or kick a ball with a smooth, controlled movement in sports.
    • He stroked the golf ball straight down the fairway.
    • She stroked the tennis ball into the corner of the court.
    • The player stroked the soccer ball gently past the goalkeeper.
  3. To move a part of your body or an object in a smooth, repeated motion, especially in swimming or rowing.
    • He stroked through the water with long, powerful arms.
    • She stroked the oars in perfect rhythm with her team.
    • The swimmer stroked steadily toward the far end of the pool.
noun
  1. A sudden serious illness that happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.
    • My grandfather had a stroke last year, but he is recovering well.
    • Doctors say that eating healthy and exercising can reduce the risk of a stroke.
    • She was rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke at work.
  2. A single movement of a hand or tool across a surface, especially in writing, painting, or sports.
    • He signed his name with a quick stroke of the pen.
    • She won the tennis match with a powerful backhand stroke.
    • The artist added a final stroke of blue to the sky.
  3. A gentle, repeated movement of the hand over something, especially as a sign of affection.
    • The cat purred happily at each gentle stroke of its fur.
    • A soft stroke on the cheek can be very comforting.
    • She gave the baby a loving stroke before putting him to bed.
  4. A single complete action or movement in a repeated process, such as in swimming or rowing.
    • The rowers pulled together with each stroke of the oars.
    • He took long, smooth strokes as he swam across the pool.
    • She practiced her freestyle stroke every morning.
  5. A mark made by a pen, brush, or similar tool.
    • He erased a few strokes and rewrote the sentence.
    • The painting was full of bold brush strokes.
    • The letter 'T' requires two strokes.
What does "stroke" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean