Stroke (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Strokeed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Strokeing.]
[OE. stroken, straken, AS. strācian, fr. strīcan to go over, pass. See Strike, v. t., and cf. Straggle.]
1. To strike. [Obs.]
Ye mote with
the plat sword again
Stroken
him in the wound, and it
will close.
Chaucer. 2. To rib gently in
one direction; especially, to pass the hand
gently over by way of
expressing kindness or tenderness; to caress; to soothe.
He dried the
falling drops, and, yet more kind,
He stroked her cheeks.
Dryden.
3. To make smooth by rubbing.
Longfellow.
4. (Masonry) To give a finely
fluted surface to.
5. To row the stroke oar of; as, to stroke a boat.
Stroke , n. [OE.
strok, strook, strak, fr.
striken. See Strike, v. t.]
1. The act of striking; a blow; a hit; a knock; esp., a
violent or hostile attack made with the
arm or hand,
or with an instrument or weapon.
His hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree.
Deut.
xix. 5. A fool's lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes.
Prov. xviii.
6. He entered and won the whole kingdom of Naples without striking a stroke.
Bacon. 2. The result of
effect of a
striking; injury or affliction; soreness.
In the day that Lord bindeth up the breach
of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Isa. xxx. 26.
3. The striking of the clock to
tell the hour.
Well, but what's o'clock?
- Upon the stroke of ten. -- Well, let is strike.
Shak.
4. A gentle, caressing touch or movement upon something; a stroking.
Dryden.
5. A mark or dash
in writing or printing; a line; the touch of a pen or pencil; as, an
up stroke; a firm stroke.
O, lasting as
those colors may they shine,
Free as thy
stroke, yet faultless as thy line.
Pope. 6. Hence, by extension, an addition or amandment to a written
composition; a touch; as, to
give some finishing strokes to an essay. Addison.
7. A sudden attack of disease; especially, a fatal attack; a severe disaster; any affliction or calamity, especially a sudden one;
as, a stroke of apoplexy; the stroke of death.
At
this one stroke the man looked dead in law.
Harte. 8. A throb or beat, as of the heart.
Tennyson.
9. One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished; as, the stroke of a bird's wing in flying, or an
oar in rowing, of a skater, swimmer, etc.; also:
(Rowing) (a) The rate of succession of stroke; as, a
quick stroke.
(b) The oar nearest the stern of a boat, by which the other oars are guided; - - called
also stroke oar. (c)
The rower who pulls the stroke oar; the strokesman.
10. A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished; also, something done or accomplished by such an effort; as, a
stroke of genius; a stroke of business; a master stroke of policy.
11. (Mach.) The movement, in either direction, of the piston
plunger, piston rod, crosshead, etc., as of a steam engine or a pump, in which these parts have a reciprocating motion; as, the forward stroke of a piston; also, the entire distance passed through, as by a piston, in such a movement; as, the piston is
at half stroke.
&fist;
The respective strokes are distinguished as up and
down strokes, outward and inward strokes, forward and back strokes, the forward stroke in stationary steam engines being toward the crosshead, but in locomotives toward the front of
the vehicle.
12. Power; influence. [Obs.] "Where money beareth [hath] all the
stroke." Robynson (More's Utopia).
He
has a great
stroke with the reader.
Dryden. 13. Appetite. [Obs.] Swift.
To keep stroke, to make strokes in unison.
The oars where
silver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke.
Shak.
Stroke (?), obs. imp.
of Strike. Struck.
Hear it pronounced