STROKE, STROOK, for struck.

1. A blow; the striking of one body against another; applicable to a club or to any heavy body, or to a rod, whip or lash. A piece of timber falling may kill a man by its stroke; a man when whipped, can hardly fail to flinch or wince at every stroke. Th' oars were silver, / Which to the time of flutes kept stroke. – Shak.
2. A hostile blow or attack. He entered and won the whole kingdom of Naples without striking a stroke. – Bacon.
3. A sudden attack of disease or affliction; calamity. At this one stroke the man look'd dead in law. – Harte.
4. Fatal attack; as, the stroke of death.
5. The sound of the clock. What is't o'clock? / Upon the stroke of four. – Shak.
6. The touch of a pencil. Oh, lasting as those colors may they shine, / Free as thy stroke, yet faultless as the line. – Pope. Some parts of my work have been brightened by the strokes of your lordship's pencil. – Middleton.
7. A touch; a masterly effort; as, the boldest strokes of poetry. – Dryden. He will give one of the finishing strokes to it. – Addison.
8. An effort suddenly or unexpectedly produced.
9. Power; efficacy. He has a great stroke with the reader, when he condemns any of my poems, to make time world have a better opinion of them. – Dryden. [I believe this sense is obsolete.]
10. Series of operations; as, to carry on a great stroke in business. [A common use of the word.]
11. A dash in writing or printing; a line; a touch of the pen; no, a hair stroke.
12. In seamen's language, the sweep of an oar; as, to row with a long stroke.

1. To rub gently with the hand by way of expressing kindness or tenderness; to soothe. He dried the falling drops, and yet more kind, / He strok'd her cheeks. – Dryden.
2. To rub gently in one direction. – Gay.
3. To make smooth.

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. To strike.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   Ye mote with the plat sword again
   Stroken him in the wound, and it will close. Chaucer.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. To make smooth by rubbing.
   
   
   Longfellow.
7. A gentle, caressing touch or movement upon something; a stroking.
   
   
   Dryden.
8. To give a finely fluted surface to.
9. 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.

10. To row the stroke oar of; as, to stroke a boat.
11. Hence, by extension, an addition or amandment to a written composition; a touch; as, to give some finishing strokes to an essay.
    
    
    Addison.
12. 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.

13. A throb or beat, as of the heart.
    
    
    Tennyson.
14. 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)
15. 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.
16. 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.
    
    

    * 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.

17. Power; influence.
    
    
    [Obs.] "Where money beareth [hath] all the stroke." Robynson (More's Utopia).

    He has a great stroke with the reader. Dryden.

18. Appetite.
    
    
    [Obs.] Swift.

    To keep stroke, to make strokes in unison.

    The oars where silver,
    Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke. Shak.