strokenoun
uk/strəʊk/us/stroʊk/stroke noun (ILLNESS)
B2 [ C ] a sudden change in the blood supply to a part of the brain, sometimes causing a loss of the ability to move particular parts of the body:
More examples
- He's been fairly poorly since having a stroke in January.
- He suffered a stroke in 1988 that left him unable to speak, but his mental capacity wasn't affected.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Disorders & diseases of the heart & blood
- acquired agammaglobulinemia
- agammaglobulinemia
- agnogenic myeloid metaplasia
- anemic
- angina
- blood poisoning
- deep vein thrombosis
- dilated cardiomyopathy
- Ebstein's anomaly
- economy-class syndrome
- Eisenmenger syndrome
- endocarditis
- haemorrhage
- hypothermia
- leukaemia
- paediatric thrombocytopenia
- patent ductus arteriosus
- pediatric thrombocytopenia
- pericarditis
- peripheral vascular disease
See more results »
stroke noun (MARK)
C2 [ C ] (a line or mark made by) a movement of a pen or pencil when writing or a brush when painting:
[ C ] UK used in spoken English to mean an oblique or slash symbol
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Painting, drawing & printing
- airbrush
- brushstroke
- brushwork
- chiaroscuro
- colour
- colour sth in
- draft
- drew
- engraving
- etching
- foreshorten
- freehand
- rough
- rough sth in
- rule
- shade sth in
- stencil
- stipple
- tempera
- wash
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
stroke noun (HIT)
[ C ] an act of hitting a ball when playing a sport:
[ C ] old-fashioned an act of hitting someone with a weapon:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General terms used in ball sports
- aggregate score
- assist
- attack
- back pass
- bobble
- center circle
- chip
- goalless
- holding
- layoff
- long ball
- man on! idiom
- man-to-man defense
- man-to-man marking
- overarm
- set piece
- shoot
- sidespin
- unplayable
- wrong-foot
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
stroke noun (SWIMMING)
C1 [ C ] (a particular movement that is usually repeated in) a method of swimming:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Swimming
- aquatics
- armband
- backstroke
- bellyflop
- butterfly
- depth
- diving board
- dog paddle
- dove
- frogman
- gala
- pearl diver
- scissor kick
- scuba diving
- shaken
- snorkel
- swallow dive
- swan dive
- swim
- swimming baths
See more results »
stroke noun (EVENT)
C2 something that happens or succeeds suddenly because of luck, intelligence, etc.:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Good luck and bad luck
- a blessing in disguise idiom
- bad/hard/tough luck! idiom
- be a good idiom
- be bad luck on sb idiom
- be down on your luck idiom
- blessing
- favour
- godsend
- grace
- hapless
- happenstance
- happily
- lap
- misadventure
- mischance
- misfortune
- mishap
- mixed blessing
- shame
- streak
See more results »
stroke noun (WORK)
[ S ] UK informal a small amount of work:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Work, working and the workplace
- a long way to go idiom
- act as sth 1
- act as sth
- all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
- assignment
- cabin
- grind
- hold down a job idiom
- hoop
- hot desk
- hot-desking
- hotelling
- housekeeping
- labour
- slog
- slouch
- spadework
- sweat
- sweat over sth
- swing into action idiom
See more results »
stroke noun (ACTION)
[ C ] a quick, forceful action:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Acting and acts
- (your) every move idiom
- -ation
- act/do sth on your own responsibility idiom
- action
- activity
- agency
- ant
- be up to sth idiom
- feel
- gambit
- get around to sth
- give yourself over/up to sth
- go about sth
- go about your business idiom
- go through with sth
- hand
- manoeuvring
- money
- talk the talk idiom
- up to
See more results »
stroke noun (CLOCK SOUND)
[ C ] one of the sounds that some clocks make at particular times, especially by ringing a bell once for each number of the hour:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Watches & clocks
- 24-hour clock
- against the clock idiom
- alarm clock
- at/on the stroke of sth idiom
- bezel
- clock
- crystal
- hour hand
- hourglass
- lose
- minute hand
- movement
- pendulum
- radio alarm clock
- strike
- twenty-four-hour clock
- watchband
- watchstrap
- winder
- wristwatch
See more results »
stroke noun (TOUCH)
[ C ] mainly UK an act of moving your hand, another part of the body, or an object gently over something or someone, usually repeatedly and for pleasure:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Touching & feeling
- feel
- feel your way idiom
- fiddle
- fiddle (around) with sth
- finger
- hand
- hand to hand idiom
- handle
- haptic
- kinaesthesia
- lick
- nudge
- pat
- paw
- play
- play with sth
- tactile
- tap
- toy
- toy with sth
See more results »
Idiom(s)
strokeverb [ T ]
uk/strəʊk/us/stroʊk/stroke verb [ T ] (TOUCH)
B2 to move a hand, another part of the body, or an object gently over something or someone, usually repeatedly and for pleasure:
More examples
- "Go on, have a good cry", he said, stroking her hair.
- She was all over him, kissing him and stroking him.
- "I love it when you stroke my back, " she purred .
- She leaned forward to stroke the dog but quickly drew back when she saw its teeth.
- I stroked her back and it seemed to soothe her.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Touching & feeling
- feel
- feel your way idiom
- fiddle
- fiddle (around) with sth
- finger
- hand
- hand to hand idiom
- handle
- haptic
- kinaesthesia
- lick
- nudge
- pat
- paw
- play
- play with sth
- tactile
- tap
- toy
- toy with sth
See more results »
stroke verb [ T ] (HIT)
UK to hit a ball:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General terms used in ball sports
- aggregate score
- assist
- attack
- back pass
- bobble
- center circle
- chip
- goalless
- holding
- layoff
- long ball
- man on! idiom
- man-to-man defense
- man-to-man marking
- overarm
- set piece
- shoot
- sidespin
- unplayable
- wrong-foot
See more results »