1. [n]  a light touch with the hands
2. [n]  a single complete movement
3. [n]  (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand; "it took two strokes to get out of the bunker"; "a good shot require good balance and tempo"; "he left me an almost impossible shot"
4. [n]  any one of the repeated movements of the limbs and body used for locomotion in swimming or rowing
5. [n]  a mark made by a writing implement (as in cursive writing)
6. [n]  a punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information
7. [n]  the maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam
8. [n]  a light touch
9. [n]  the oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew
10. [n]  a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain
11. [v]  treat gingerly or carefully; "You have to stroke the boss"
12. [v]  strike a ball with a smooth blow
13. [v]  be or act as the stroke
14. [v]  touch lightly and with affection, with brushing motions; "He stroked his long beard"

1. \Stroke\, obs. imp. of {Strike}.
   Struck.
   

2. \Stroke\, n. [OE. strok, strook, strak, fr. striken. See
   {Strike}, v. t.]
   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. 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.
   3. 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.
   4. A gentle, caressing touch or movement upon something; a
      stroking. --Dryden.
   5. 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.
   6. Hence, by extension, an addition or amandment to a written
      composition; a touch; as, to give some finishing strokes
      to an essay. --Addison.
   7. 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.
   8. A throb or beat, as of the heart. --Tennyson.
   9. 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) The rate of succession of stroke; as, a quick stroke.
      (b) The oar nearest the stern of a boat, by which the
          other oars are guided; -- called also {stroke oar}.
      (c) The rower who pulls the stroke oar; the strokesman.
   10. 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.
   11. (Mach.) 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.
   Note: 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.
   12. Power; influence. [Obs.] ``Where money beareth [hath] all
       the stroke.'' --Robynson (More's Utopia).
             He has a great stroke with the reader. --Dryden.
   13. Appetite. [Obs.] --Swift.
   {To keep stroke}, to make strokes in unison.
            The oars where silver, Which to the tune of flutes
            kept stroke.                          --Shak.
   

3. \Stroke\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Strokeed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Strokeing}.] [OE. stroken, straken, AS. str[=a]cian, fr.
   str[=i]can to go over, pass. See {Strike}, v. t., and cf.
   {Straggle}.]
   1. To strike. [Obs.]
            Ye mote with the plat sword again Stroken him in the
            wound, and it will close.             --Chaucer.
   2. 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.
   3. To make smooth by rubbing. --Longfellow.
   4. (Masonry) To give a finely fluted surface to.
   5. To row the stroke oar of; as, to stroke a boat.
   

The oblique stroke character, "/", ASCII 47.

See ASCII for other synonyms.

[Jargon File]