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stroke

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noun British English pronunciation: stroke /strəʊk/ 
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singularstroke
pluralstrokes
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  2. 2
    an unexpected but important event or action
    a stroke of luck/good fortune:

    Winning the lottery was quite a stroke of luck.

    a stroke of genius/inspiration/brilliance:

    Using green as a background was a real stroke of genius (=an idea that shows great intelligence).

    a bold/master stroke:

    These plans are seen as a bold stroke by the local council.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of stroke
  3. 3
    a hit made with someone's hand, a stick, or another object

    With each stroke of the whip, the horse galloped faster.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of stroke
    1. a.
      an instance of hitting the ball in some sports, or the way in which someone hits it

      He slammed the ball over the net with a powerful backhand stroke.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of stroke
  5. 5
    one of the series of sounds that some clocks make to mark the hour, or the time marked by this

    At the stroke of nine (=at exactly nine o'clock) the band began to play.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of stroke

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This is the British English definition of stroke. View American English definition of stroke.

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