# stroke

> English word · Noun · IPA /stɹəʊk/ · frequency rank #4,555

## Definitions
1. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
2. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
3. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
4. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
5. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
6. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
7. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
8. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
9. A movement similar to that of hitting.
10. A movement similar to that of hitting.
11. A movement similar to that of hitting.
12. A movement similar to that of hitting.
13. A movement similar to that of hitting.
14. A movement similar to that of hitting.
15. A movement similar to that of hitting.
16. An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
17. A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
18. An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
19. A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done or produced; also, something accomplished by such an effort; an achievement, a feat.
20. A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
21. A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
22. A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
23. A single movement of a paintbrush, chisel, pen, pencil, or similar implement; a line or mark made by such an implement.
24. A distinctive expression in a written composition; a touch.
25. Influence; power.
26. Influence; power.
27. A masterful or effective action.
28. A sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing minor to major brain damage and possible death.
29. An individual discharge of lightning, particularly if causing damage.
30. An individual social interaction whereby one gives another attention or recognition.
31. The effect or result of a striking; affliction or injury; a bruise or wound; soreness.
32. Chiefly in to have a good stroke: appetite.
33. A sudden attack of any illness, especially if causing loss of consciousness or movement, or when fatal.
34. A bow or pluck of a string or strings of a stringed instrument; also, the manner in which a musical instrument is played; hence, a melody, a tune.

## Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English strok, stroke (“blow from a weapon, cut”), from Old English strāc, from Proto-West Germanic *straik, from Proto-Germanic *straikaz (“stroke”), from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“to rub, stroke; to shear; to strike”).
Sense 3.6.2.2 (“the oblique, slash, or virgule (‘/’)”) is a contraction of oblique stroke, a variant of oblique which was originally used in telegraphy.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Cognates
* German Streich (“stroke”)
* Middle Low German strēk (“stroke, trick, prank”)
* Scots strak, strake, straik (“blow, stroke”)

## Easily confused with
- **strong** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stroke-vs-strong)
- **stroll** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stroke-vs-stroll)
- **Stroud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stroke-vs-stroud)
- **strove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stroke-vs-strove)
- **strokes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stroke-vs-strokes)
- **Stryker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stroke-vs-stryker)
- **store** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/store-vs-stroke)
- **stone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stone-vs-stroke)
- **smoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/smoke-vs-stroke)
- **spoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spoke-vs-stroke)
- **stole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stole-vs-stroke)
- **stake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stake-vs-stroke)
- **stoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stoke-vs-stroke)
- **stove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stove-vs-stroke)
- **Stowe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stowe-vs-stroke)
- **strike** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/strike-vs-stroke)
- **strive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/strive-vs-stroke)
- **stokes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stokes-vs-stroke)
- **stripe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stripe-vs-stroke)
- **stoked** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stoked-vs-stroke)

## Common misspellings (9)
`srtoke`, `sstroke`, `storke`, `strkoe`, `stroek`, `strokke`, `strroke`, `sttroke`, `tsroke`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stroke