stroke
n. countablen. a serious medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off. It can suddenly make it hard for someone to move, speak, or think clearly.
n. a sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. It is a serious medical emergency.
Quick treatment for a stroke is very important.
Recognizing the signs of a stroke, like a drooping face or slurred speech, can save a life.
After the minor stroke, he underwent months of physical therapy to regain full control over the muscles on the left side of his body.
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”)
The verb is derived from Middle English stroken, straken (“to caress, fondle, pat, rub, smooth, stroke; to pass something over (someone or something); to brush or rub against;”) [and other forms], from Old English strācian (“to stroke”), from Proto-West Germanic straikōn (“to caress, stroke”), from straik (“a line, stroke; a dash”) (see further at etymology 1) + *-ōn (suffix forming verbs from nouns). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * German streicheln (“to stroke, fondle”) * German Low German straken, strieken, strakeln, striekeln (“to stroke; caress; fondle”) * Middle Low German strēken, Middle Dutch strēken (modern Dutch streeken) * Old High German strīhhan, streihhōn, Middle High German strīchen (modern German streichen (“to stroke; to rub; to spread; to apply; to paint; to cancel; to cross out, strike out; to delete; to discard”)) * Saterland Frisian strookje (“to stroke; caress”) * West Frisian streakje (“to stroke; caress”)
He had a stroke on the cat.He stroked the cat.Learners may confuse the noun 'stroke' (a medical event) with the verb 'to stroke' (to pet gently).