return stroken.
/rᵻˈtəːn ˌstrəʊk/, U.S. /rəˈtərn ˌstroʊk/, /riˈtərn ˌstroʊk/ 1. A movement in which a piston or other reciprocating part returns to a previous position.
ΚΠ
1810 Repertory of Arts 2nd Ser. 17 331 Its [sc. the pump] return-stroke forces it through an upper valve.
1885 Science 3 Apr. 278/1 One piston is effective in the up, and the other in the down or return stroke.
1920 D. A. Low Heat Engines xiv. 273 The piston now begins its return stroke.
1965 G. J. Jones Fund. Workshop Technol. xii. 192 On the return stroke the tool was free to lift and did not rub so heavily against the workpiece.
2003 Daily Tel. (Sydney) (Nexis) 1 Aug. 31 The air is compressed by the piston's return stroke causing the temperature to rise rapidly.
2. An act of striking back; a blow given in return for one received. Also: a stroke which returns a ball, shuttlecock, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impact > striking > [noun] > returning a blow > return blow or stroke
countertailc1430
counterbuff?1578
countercuff1589
revie1589
counterstroke1596
after-blow1607
counterblow1655
return1702
return stroke1838
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > [noun] > manner of playing ball
bata1400
back-swing1577
banding1589
stroke1662
stop1773
swipe1788
hit1810
straik1820
screwing1825
return1833
volleying1837
return stroke1838
volley1851
swiper1853
shot1868
handling1870
screw kick1870
mishit1882
smash1882
misfield1886
fumble1895
run-up1897
mishitting1900
balloon1904
carryback1905
placement1909
tonk1922
trick shot1924
retrieve1952
sizzler1960
undercut1960
shotmaking1969
1838 J. P. Kennedy Rob of Bowl II. vi. 126 The vigour with which he parried it swayed the sword of his adversary so far out of his sphere of defence, as to leave his body open to the return stroke.
1843 B. Hofland King's Son I. iii. 156 At length, after making a feint thrust, which, by taking him unprepared, threw his return-stroke out of guard, the first cavalier disarmed his antagonist.
1922 Times 22 Nov. 6/6 His return stroke..is generally within a foot of the service line.
2009 Townsville (Austral.) Bull. (Nexis) 31 Jan. (Weekend extra) 44 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France plays a return stroke during his men's singles match against James Blake of the US at the Australian Open tennis tournament.
3.
a. = return shock n. at return n. Compounds 5. Now rare.
ΚΠ
1844 Jrnl. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 13 ii. 979 These tremors may have been an effect of what has been called ‘the return stroke’ or the passage of electric matter from the surcharged earth to the clouds.
1881 S. P. Thompson Elem. Lessons Electr. & Magn. iv. §304. 257 The ‘return-stroke’ experienced by persons in the neighbourhood of a flash.
1919 J. C. Da Costa Mod. Surg. (ed. 8) 1649 What has been described as return stroke..appears generally to be due to the discharge of induction charges immediately following the primary discharge.
b. Meteorology. The principal discharge in a lightning stroke, occurring after the leader stroke reaches the ground or an object, and carrying the main current upwards from the ground or object to the cloud.The return stroke produces most of the light of a lightning stroke.
ΚΠ
1935 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 152 598 When branches are formed by either first or successive leaders they are subsequently more brilliantly illuminated during the return stroke.
1957 F. H. Forrester 1001 Questions answered about Weather iv. 155 This is called the return stroke, from ground to cloud, from positive to negative.
1999 Weekly World News 30 Mar. 69/2 It is this return stroke that is visible as a lightning flash.
2000 C. D. Whiteman Mountain Meteorol. viii. 122 A return stroke, lasting about a tenth of a second, propagates up the channel as a bright luminous pulse.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1810