Webster's English Dictionary

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stroke

1. stroke \'stro-k\ vt [ME stroken, fr. OE stra-cian; akin to OHG stri-hhan 
   to] stroke - more at STRIKE : to rub gently in one direction; also CARESS  
   - strok.er n
2. stroke n [1stroke] 1: the act of striking; esp : a blow with a weapon or 
   implement  2: a single unbroken movement; esp : one of a series of repeated 
   or  to-and-fro movements 3: a striking of the ball in a game (as tennis); 
   specif : a strikin g or attempt to strike the ball that constitutes the 
   scoring unit in golf 4: a sudden action or process producing an impact {~ 
   of lightning> or unexpected result {~ of luck} 5: APOPLEXY  6a: one of a 
   series of propelling beats or movements against a resisting me dium 6b: an 
   oarsman who sets the tempo for a crew  7a: a vigorous or energetic effort  
   7b: a delicate or clever touch in a narrative, description, or construction 
    8: HEARTBEAT  9: the movement or the distance of the movement in either 
   direction of a me chanical part (as a piston rod) having reciprocating 
   motion 10: the sound of a bell being struck  11: an act of stroking or 
   caressing  12a: a mark or dash made by a single movement of an implement  
   12b: one of the lines of a letter of the alphabet 
3. stroke vt 1a: to mark with a short line {~ the t's}  1b: to cancel by 
   drawing a line through {stroked out his name}  2: to set the stroke for (a 
   rowing crew); also : to set the stroke  for the crew of (a rowing boat) 3: 
   HIT; esp : to propel (a ball) with a controlled swinging  blow