Stroke

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /stɹəʊk/

Definitions

  1. A single movement made with the hand or an instrument ; a serious health event caused by lack of blood in the brain ; a soft, caressing touch on a surface or person ; a sudden occurrence producing harm or change ; a pen or brush mark in writing or drawing
  2. An action involving a deliberate pass or sweep using the hand or an object ; a medical emergency characterized by brain function loss from blocked or burst vessels ; a tender and slow touch meant to soothe ; an abrupt incident that affects a person or thing negatively ; a line or mark created by a writing or painting tool
  3. The act of moving a hand or tool in a smooth motion ; a critical condition where brain tissue is damaged due to disrupted blood supply ; an affectionate touch made gently and carefully ; an unexpected event causing immediate impact or injury ; a single continuous mark made by a writing instrument

Etymology: The noun "stroke" goes back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "stroke," which is also linked to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to rub, stroke; to shear; to strike." That root's range explains the word's range: the same idea of a firm movement across a surface gave English both the blow of a weapon and the gentle pat of a hand. In Middle English it meant "blow from a weapon, cut," and it reached English from Old English "strāc," with cousins in German "Streich" and Scots "strak." The verb came later and grew from the noun's older sense of a line or mark. Middle English "stroken" meant "to caress, fondle, pat, rub, smooth," and it descended from Old English "strācian," built on the same root with a suffix that turns nouns into verbs. So the gentle sense of touching came first in the verb, while the noun's blows and cuts stayed in the older meaning. Meanwhile the slash mark has its own short history. In the sense of the oblique or slash "/", the term is a shortening of "oblique stroke," where "oblique" was a term used in telegraphy.

Synonyms: touch, caress, hit, blow, strike

Antonyms: neglect, ignore, dismiss, avoid, shun