What is "stroke"

Stroke \Stroke\, obs. imp. of Strike. Struck.

Stroke \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)

   1. The rate of succession of stroke; as, a quick stroke.

   2. The oar nearest the stern of a boat, by which the other oars are guided; -- called also stroke oar.

   3. 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.

Stroke \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.

"act of striking," c.1300, probably from Old English *strac "stroke," from Proto-Germanic *straik- (cognates: Middle Low German strek, German streich, Gothic striks "stroke"); see stroke (v.).\n

\nThe meaning "mark of a pen" is from 1560s; that of "a striking of a clock" is from mid-15c. Sense of "feat, achievement" (as in stroke of luck, 1853) first found 1670s; the meaning "single pull of an oar or single movement of machinery" is from 1731. Meaning "apoplectic seizure" is from 1590s (originally the Stroke of God's Hand). Swimming sense is from 1800.

"pass the hand gently over," Old English stracian "to stroke," related to strican "pass over lightly," from Proto-Germanic *straik-, from PIE root *streig- "to stroke, rub, press" (see strigil). Figurative sense of "soothe, flatter" is recorded from 1510s. The noun meaning "a stroking movement of the hand" is recorded from 1630s. Related: Stroked; stroking.

Etymology 1 alt. 1 An act of #Verb (gloss: moving one's hand over a surface). 2 A blow or hit. 3 A single movement with a tool. 4 # (context golf English) A single act of striking at the ball with a club. 5 # (context tennis English) The hitting of a ball with a racket, or the movement of the racket and arm that produces that impact. 6 # (context rowing English) The movement of an oar or paddle through water, either the ''pull'' which actually propels the vessel or a single entire cycle of movement including the pull. 7 # (context cricket English) The action of hitting the ball with the bat; a shot. 8 # A thrust of a piston. 9 One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished. 10 A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished; also, something done or accomplished by such an effort. 11 A line drawn with a pen or other writing implement. 12 # (context hence British English) The symbol (term: /). 13 # (context linguistics English) A line of a Chinese, Japanese or Korean character. 14 The time when a clock strikes. n. 1 An act of #Verb (gloss: moving one's hand over a surface). 2 A blow or hit. 3 A single movement with a tool. 4 # (context golf English) A single act of striking at the ball with a club. 5 # (context tennis English) The hitting of a ball with a racket, or the movement of the racket and arm that produces that impact. 6 # (context rowing English) The movement of an oar or paddle through water, either the ''pull'' which actually propels the vessel or a single entire cycle of movement including the pull. 7 # (context cricket English) The action of hitting the ball with the bat; a shot. 8 # A thrust of a piston. 9 One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished. 10 A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished; also, something done or accomplished by such an effort. 11 A line drawn with a pen or other writing implement. 12 # (context hence British English) The symbol (term: /). 13 # (context linguistics English) A line of a Chinese, Japanese or Korean character. 14 The time when a clock strikes. Etymology 2

vb. 1 (context transitive English) To move one's hand or an object (such as a broom) along (a surface) in one direction. 2 (context transitive cricket English) To hit the ball with the bat in a flowing motion. 3 (context masonry English) To give a finely fluted surface to. 4 (context transitive English) To row the stroke oar of.

1. v. touch lightly and with affection, with brushing motions; "He stroked his long beard" [syn: fondle]

2. strike a ball with a smooth blow

3. row at a particular rate

4. treat gingerly or carefully; "You have to stroke the boss"

1. 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" [syn: shot]

2. the maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam [syn: throw, cam stroke]

3. a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain [syn: apoplexy, cerebrovascular accident, CVA]

4. a light touch

5. a light touch with the hands [syn: stroking]

6. the oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew

7. a punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information [syn: solidus, slash, virgule, diagonal, separatrix]

8. a mark made by a writing implement (as in cursive writing)

9. any one of the repeated movements of the limbs and body used for locomotion in swimming or rowing

10. a single complete movement

A stroke or stroking may refer to

CJKV strokes are the calligraphic strokes needed to write the Chinese characters in regular script used in East Asia. CJK strokes are the classified set of line patterns that may be arranged and combined to form Chinese characters (also known as Hanzi) in use in China, Japan, Korea, and to a lesser extent in Vietnam (see CJK characters).

Reciprocating motion, used in reciprocating engines and other mechanisms, is back-and-forth motion. Each cycle of reciprocation consists of two opposite motions: there is a motion in one direction, and then a motion back in the opposite direction. Each of these is called a stroke. The term is also used to mean the length of the stroke.

In a steam locomotive, or in a steam, Otto, Diesel or piston engine, a stroke is the action of a piston travelling the full length of its locomotive cylinder or engine cylinder in one direction.

The stroke length is determined by the cranks on the crankshaft. Stroke can also refer to the distance the piston travels. Engine displacement is dependent on both the diameter of the cylinder, known as its bore, and the stroke of the Piston.

In a pistonless rotary engine, the term is applied to the corresponding rotor movement, see dead centre.

In rowing, stroke is the action of propelling the boat with oars, and also a rower seated closest to the stern of the boat. The stroke side is the port side of the boat.

Stroke is an orchestral composition by the American composer Joan Tower. The work was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and is dedicated to the composer's brother, who suffered from a debilitating stroke in 2008. It was first performed in Pittsburgh on May 13, 2011, by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the conductor Manfred Honeck.

Stroke is when poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. They result in part of the brain not functioning properly. Signs and symptoms of a stroke may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, feeling like the world is spinning, or loss of vision to one side among others. Signs and symptoms often appear soon after the stroke has occurred. If symptoms last less than one or two hours it is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Hemorrhagic strokes may also be associated with a severe headache. The symptoms of a stroke can be permanent. Long term complications may include pneumonia or loss of bladder control.

The main risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure. Other risk factors include tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, previous TIA, and atrial fibrillation. An ischemic stroke is typically caused by blockage of a blood vessel. A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding either directly into the brain or into the space surrounding the brain. Bleeding may occur due to a brain aneurysm. Diagnosis is typically with medical imaging such as a computerized axial tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan along with a physical exam. Other tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests are done to determine risk factors and rule out other possible causes. Low blood sugar may cause similar symptoms.

Prevention includes decreasing risk factors as well as possibly aspirin, statins, surgery to open up the arteries to the brain in those with problematic narrowing, and warfarin in those with atrial fibrillation. A stroke often requires emergency care. An ischemic stroke, if detected within three to four and half hours, may be treatable with a medication that can break down the clot. Aspirin should be used. Some hemorrhagic strokes benefit from surgery. Treatment to try recover lost function is called stroke rehabilitation and ideally takes place in a stroke unit; however, these are not available in much of the world.

In 2013 approximately 6.9 million people had an ischemic stroke and 3.4 million people had a hemorrhagic stroke. In 2010 there were about 33 million people who had previously had a stroke and were still alive. Between 1990 and 2010 the number of strokes which occurred each year decreased by approximately 10% in the developed world and increased by 10% in the developing world. In 2013, stroke was the second most frequent cause of death after coronary artery disease, accounting for 6.4 million deaths (12% of the total). About 3.3 million deaths resulted from ischemic stroke while 3.2 million deaths resulted from hemorrhagic stroke. About half of people who have had a stroke live less than one year. Overall, two thirds of strokes occurred in those over 65 years old.

Stroke is a peer-reviewed medical journal published monthly by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins on behalf of the American Heart Association. It covers research on cerebral circulation and related diseases, including clinical research on assessment of risk for stroke, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, as well as rehabilitation. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2014 impact factor of 5.723, ranking it 13th out of 192 journals in the category "Clinical Neurology" and fifth out of 60 journals in the category "Peripheral Vascular Disease". The current editor-in-chief is Marc Fisher ( University of Massachusetts Medical School).