What does stroke mean?
Stroke is a polysemous English word whose commonest modern sense is medical: a sudden loss of brain function caused by a blocked or bleeding blood vessel, and therefore a medical emergency. The word also denotes an act of striking or a sudden movement, such as a brushstroke or a swimming stroke; a line or mark left by a pen or tool; and a gentle touch or caress. In phrases such as "a stroke of luck" and "a stroke of genius," it means a sudden occurrence or an inspired piece of work. As a verb, to stroke means to touch gently, while another older usage means to cross out, cancel, or defeat. The noun's history is closely tied to writing: it originally referred to a dash made by a pen. Consequently, the word can describe both the physical mark of an action and the action that produces it, while its medical use adds an urgent modern meaning to a long-established everyday vocabulary word.
As a noun, stroke denotes a medical event caused by interrupted blood supply to the brain, as well as an act of striking or moving, a mark or line made by a tool, a gentle touch, or an abstract instance of something such as luck or genius.
"The painting was completed with loose, energetic strokes of grey paint."
The medical sense is now the most frequent, but the older artistic, physical, and abstract senses remain common.
As a verb, stroke means to touch or caress gently; more formally, it can also mean to cross out, cancel, defeat, or quietly thwart.
"He stroked the cat's fur until it began to purr."
The verb commonly suggests gentleness and affection, while its formal sense of cancellation may be deliberately restrained or euphemistic.
The ordinary plural refers to separate medical events, marks, movements, blows, or instances of something.
"Two minor strokes left him with some difficulty walking."
Stroke began life as the simple line left by a pen—long before it became a medical emergency.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of stroke
The English noun descends from Old English stroc, meaning a dash or line made by a pen, and appears in Middle English as stroke, with stoke also recorded as a variant. The related verb comes from Old English strican, meaning to touch lightly or stroke. These words belong to a wider Germanic family that also includes strike.
Related word forms
How stroke is actually used
The medical sense is dominant in contemporary usage, and the expression "brain attack" is a common plain-language alternative. As a verb, "stroke" often has a gentle or intimate connotation, although the older formal sense meaning to cancel or defeat can sound stern or euphemistic.
Easily confused with stroke
A stroke is a medical event, mark, or movement, whereas a stoke is an act of feeding or tending a fire.