stroke
stroke — 動詞
1. To gently pass your hand or fingers over a surface, an animal, or a part of some
撫摸
以手輕柔撫摸以表達關愛或安慰
To gently pass your hand or fingers over a surface, an animal, or a part of someone's body, usually with a soft repeating motion to show love, care, or comfort.
Sivan gently stroked the old dog's head until it fell asleep on the sofa.
Sivan 輕輕撫摸老狗的頭，直到牠在沙發上睡著。
stroke + body part to soothe an animal
Ingrid stroked her daughter's hair to calm her down before the school play.
Ingrid 撫摸女兒的頭髮，讓她在學校話劇演出前冷靜下來。
stroke + hair/head to calm a person
Every morning Felipe strokes the cat while he waits for the kettle to boil.
每天早上 Felipe 都會一邊等水壺燒開，一邊撫摸貓咪。
Putri stroked her grandmother's cheek and told her everything would be fine.
Putri 輕撫祖母的臉頰，告訴她一切都會沒事的。
文法句型
stroke + noun phrase (someone/something)
用法筆記
The object is usually an animal or a person's hair, face, or back. Frequently used to describe a comforting or affectionate action.
常見錯誤
2. When playing certain sports, to send a ball forward with a smooth, controlled sw
擊球
以平順的動作揮拍或揮桿擊球
When playing certain sports, to send a ball forward with a smooth, controlled swing of a bat, racket, or club.
Takeshi stroked the tennis ball into the far corner and won the point.
Takeshi 將網球平順地擊向遠角，贏得了那一分。
stroke + ball + into [destination]
The cricketer stroked the ball past three fielders for four runs.
板球選手將球順暢地擊過三位外野手，得了四分。
Anjali stroked her golf shot carefully and watched it roll close to the hole.
Anjali 小心翼翼地揮桿擊出高爾夫球，看著它滾向洞口附近。
Cyrus stroked a perfect forehand down the line to win the match point.
Cyrus 以一記完美的正手拍沿邊線擊球，贏得了賽末點。
文法句型
stroke + ball + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Used in British sports contexts (cricket, tennis, golf) for a hit that is smooth and controlled rather than powerful. Less common in American English.
3. To say nice things to someone or give them special attention so they feel good a
奉承；討好
以讚美或特別對待來博取對方好感
To say nice things to someone or give them special attention so they feel good and are more likely to agree with you or do what you want.
The salesperson stroked the customer's ego by admiring her choice of furniture.
業務員藉由讚美客戶的家具品味來討好對方。
stroke + someone's ego + by doing something
Nellie knew her boss was stroking her when he praised the report she wrote.
Nellie 知道主管只是在奉承她，才誇獎她寫的那份報告。
passive: be stroked = receive insincere praise
Jabari stroked the client's vanity with compliments about his taste in cars.
Jabari 用對車子品味的讚美來滿足客戶的虛榮心。
The journalist stroked the politician's ego before asking the tough questions.
記者先討好政治人物的自尊心，然後才開始問尖銳的問題。
文法句型
stroke + someone's + ego/vanity/pride
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'ego', 'vanity', or 'pride' as the object. The flattery is usually insincere and has a practical goal.
常見錯誤
stroke — 名詞
1. a health crisis in which blood stops flowing properly inside the head, harming b
中風
腦部血管阻塞或破裂導致的疾病
a health crisis in which blood stops flowing properly inside the head, harming brain cells and possibly leaving a person unable to move, speak, or think as before
Zayd's grandfather had a stroke last year and now struggles to walk without help.
Zayd 的祖父去年中風，現在走路需要別人幫忙。
have a stroke
Doctors told Anong that smoking and high blood pressure both raise the risk of stroke.
醫生告訴 Anong，吸菸和高血壓都會增加中風的風險。
risk of stroke
After the stroke, Tamar had to learn how to speak again with the help of a therapist.
中風之後，Tamar 必須在治療師的幫助下重新學習說話。
Élise's doctor warned her that frequent headaches could be a sign of a coming stroke.
Élise 的醫生警告她，頻繁的頭痛可能是中風的前兆。
- brain attack
less common; used by some health campaigns to emphasize urgency
- cerebrovascular accident
formal medical term; rarely used in everyday conversation
文法句型
have a stroke
suffer a stroke
用法筆記
Commonly used with the verbs 'have', 'suffer', or 'cause': 'He had a stroke.' / 'The blockage caused a stroke.' The noun is most often singular when referring to the medical event.
常見錯誤
2. a visible mark or line created on a surface when a writing or drawing tool is mo
筆畫；筆觸
書寫或繪畫時一筆劃出的線條
a visible mark or line created on a surface when a writing or drawing tool is moved across it once
Eri signed the contract with a quick stroke of her pen.
Eri 大筆一揮，迅速在合約上簽了名。
stroke of the pen
The painting of the harbour uses broad brush strokes in shades of blue and grey.
那幅港口的畫作使用了寬闊的藍灰色筆觸。
broad brush strokes
David's calligraphy teacher showed him how to make each stroke thin at the top and thick at the bottom.
David 的書法老師教他如何讓每一筆畫頂端細、底部粗。
Ziad practised writing the letter 'M' until each stroke was smooth and even.
Ziad 反覆練習寫字母「M」，直到每一筆都平滑均勻。
文法句型
stroke of the pen
brush stroke
用法筆記
Often used in the phrase 'stroke of the pen' to describe an official decision signed into effect. In visual art, 'brush stroke' refers to the visible mark of a painter's brush on the canvas.
常見錯誤
3. when speaking aloud, the word that stands for the / symbol, placed between items
斜線
口語中表示符號 / 的用詞
when speaking aloud, the word that stands for the / symbol, placed between items to show they are alternatives or connected
The form asks for your name stroke date of birth in the top box.
表格要求在上方欄位填寫姓名 stroke 出生日期。
[A] stroke [B] — spoken slash
Min read the address aloud as "flat twenty-four stroke A, Victoria Mansions."
Min 把地址念成「二十四號 stroke A，維多利亞大廈」。
When the teacher said "true stroke false," the students had to circle the correct answer.
老師說「true stroke false」時，學生必須圈出正確答案。
Isabela read the web address as "www dot example stroke contact" over the phone.
Isabela 在電話中把網址念成「www 點 example stroke contact」。
- slash
more common in American English and in computing contexts
- forward slash
technical term to distinguish from backslash \
文法句型
[option A] stroke [option B]
用法筆記
Used mainly in spoken British English when reading the slash symbol aloud. In written English, the symbol / is used instead. American English speakers more often say 'slash' than 'stroke'.
常見錯誤
4. a single swing or hit of the ball using a racket, bat, club, or similar sports e
擊球；揮桿
運動中用球拍或球桿擊球的動作
a single swing or hit of the ball using a racket, bat, club, or similar sports equipment during a game
Iris spent the afternoon practising her backhand stroke against the practice wall.
Iris 整個下午都在對著練習牆練反手擊球。
backhand stroke / forehand stroke
Tendai needed only two strokes to get the golf ball onto the green.
Tendai 只用了兩桿就把高爾夫球打上果嶺。
Elena watched the coach demonstrate the correct arm movement for a powerful tennis stroke.
Elena 看著教練示範強力網球擊球的正確手臂動作。
Eve's golf coach counted her strokes and told her to keep her elbow straighter.
Eve 的高爾夫教練數了她的揮桿次數，並告訴她手肘要打直一些。
文法句型
[number] stroke(s) to/on [target]
take a stroke
用法筆記
In golf, a 'stroke' is also the unit of scoring — each hit of the ball counts as one stroke. In tennis, badminton, and table tennis, it refers to the type of swing (forehand, backhand, volley).
常見錯誤
5. a single hit or blow delivered with a weapon such as a sword, axe, stick, or whi
擊打；一擊
用武器進行的打擊動作
a single hit or blow delivered with a weapon such as a sword, axe, stick, or whip
Astrid dodged the guard's first stroke and rolled behind a stack of wooden crates.
Astrid 閃過守衛的第一擊，滾到一堆木箱後面。
The knight's final stroke broke through the enemy's shield and ended the fight.
騎士的最後一擊劈穿了敵人的盾牌，結束了戰鬥。
final stroke — decisive blow
A single stroke of the axe split the fallen tree into two clean halves.
斧頭一劈就把那棵倒下的樹乾淨俐落地砍成兩半。
Lakshmi trained for months to perfect the whip stroke without leaving a mark.
Lakshmi 訓練了好幾個月，要練到鞭子一揮而不留痕跡。
文法句型
[number] stroke(s) of [weapon]
用法筆記
Often paired with 'of' plus the weapon: 'stroke of a sword' / 'stroke of an axe'. This sense is more common in historical or fantasy writing than in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
6. a way of swimming that uses a particular pattern of arm and leg actions to move
泳式
游泳時手臂和腿的重複動作方式
a way of swimming that uses a particular pattern of arm and leg actions to move the body through water
Christopher won the school race because he swims freestyle stroke faster than anyone.
Christopher 用自由式游得比任何人都快，贏得了校際比賽。
freestyle stroke
Shanti is learning the breaststroke at her Saturday swimming class and can now cross the pool.
Shanti 在週六的游泳課上學蛙式，現在已經能游過泳池了。
the breaststroke
Aylin prefers the backstroke because she finds it easier to breathe while floating on her back.
Aylin 比較喜歡仰式，因為她覺得仰躺漂浮時呼吸比較容易。
Mark found the butterfly stroke exhausting but loved the speed it gave him in the water.
Mark 覺得蝶式很累人，但很喜歡它在水中帶給他的速度。
文法句型
[style name] stroke
swim [style name]
用法筆記
The four main competitive strokes are front crawl (freestyle), backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. The names breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly are typically written as single words without a space.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I am learning the butterfly stroke, but the arm movement is very hard.' (correct usage) — This is actually correct. Just be careful not to write 'butter fly stroke' as two separate words.
7. a sudden success or a fortunate occurrence that happens unexpectedly, often beca
機運；巧思
因運氣或才智突然成功的事
a sudden success or a fortunate occurrence that happens unexpectedly, often because of luck, skill, or a clever idea
Jenna found that rare book at the market for five dollars — a stroke of luck.
Jenna 在市場用五美元找到那本稀有書——真是好運。
collocation: stroke of luck
Bilal's app redesign was a stroke of genius that doubled the user base.
Bilal 的應用程式重新設計堪稱神來之筆，讓用戶數翻倍。
collocation: stroke of genius
Nora missed her bus — a real stroke of bad luck since taxis were all taken.
Nora 錯過了公車——更倒楣的是計程車也都載滿了人。
Getting into that top university was a stroke of good fortune for Tariro.
Tariro 進入那所頂尖大學，真是天大的好運。
- piece of luck
more general; less dramatic than 'stroke of luck'
- coup
formal; suggests a clever and usually difficult achievement
- windfall
specifically an unexpected financial gain
- misfortune
a stroke of bad luck
8. a tiny amount of work or effort, almost always used in negative statements to me
一丁點
極少量工作（常用於否定句）
a tiny amount of work or effort, almost always used in negative statements to mean no work at all
Nadia has not done a stroke of work all morning — just scrolling through her phone.
Nadia 整個早上什麼工作也沒做——只是在滑手機。
typically used in negative: not a stroke of work
Quinn promised to help with the dishes but has not done a stroke yet.
Quinn 答應要幫忙洗碗，但到現在一丁點也沒做。
The lazy intern did not complete a single stroke of work before lunch.
那個懶惰的實習生在午餐前連一丁點工作都沒做完。
Caleb claimed he was busy, though he never did a stroke of work all day.
Caleb 說他很忙，但一整天什麼事也沒做。
用法筆記
Almost always used in negative or semi-negative contexts: 'not a stroke of work', 'hardly a stroke'. Affirmative uses ('a stroke of work') are rare and usually sarcastic.
常見錯誤
9. a sudden, vigorous action or movement, often one that accomplishes a task or cre
一擊；一舉
單次快速用力的動作
a sudden, vigorous action or movement, often one that accomplishes a task or creates a result in a single attempt
With one swift stroke, Mia struck the match against the side of the box.
Mia 迅速一劃，讓火柴擦過紙盒的側邊點燃起來。
phrase: with one stroke
The new law wiped out old regulations at a single stroke.
新法一舉廢除了舊規定。
phrase: at a single stroke
Ayana solved the hard puzzle in one stroke, surprising everyone.
Ayana 一下子就解開了那個難題，讓在場的人都很驚訝。
Esteban cleared the snow from the path with one stroke of the shovel.
Esteban 一鏟子就把路上的積雪清乾淨了。
用法筆記
Common in the fixed phrases 'at a stroke', 'at one stroke', and 'with one stroke', meaning 'with a single action'.
10. one of the individual ringing sounds a clock makes, especially when it marks eac
鐘鳴；報時
時鐘敲響的聲音，尤指整點報時
one of the individual ringing sounds a clock makes, especially when it marks each hour by striking a bell
At midnight, the old town clock rang twelve loud strokes that echoed across the square.
午夜時分，舊城鐘樓敲了十二下，鐘聲在廣場上迴盪。
stroke of a clock / bell
Élise counted the hall clock's strokes — it was eleven o'clock.
Élise 數了大廳時鐘的敲擊次數——是十一點。
The last stroke of the bell faded into silence, and the room became still.
最後一聲鐘響消失在寂靜中，房間裡變得鴉雀無聲。
Ziad heard the first stroke of the clock at exactly six in the morning.
Ziad 聽到時鐘敲了第一響，正好是清晨六點。
11. a soft, gentle movement of the hand across a surface or over a person's skin or
輕撫；撫摸
用手輕柔觸摸以表達關愛
a soft, gentle movement of the hand across a surface or over a person's skin or hair, typically done to show care, comfort, or affection
The cat purred loudly at every gentle stroke of Nkechi's hand along its back.
Nkechi 每輕輕撫摸一次貓咪的背，貓咪就大聲咕嚕咕嚕叫。
stroke of the hand
A tender stroke on her grandmother's cheek helped the elderly woman feel safe and loved.
在奶奶臉頰上輕輕一撫，讓老人家感到安心和被愛。
Joon gave his nervous dog a long, soothing stroke after the thunderstorm.
雷雨過後，Joon 輕輕地、長時間地撫摸他緊張的狗來安撫牠。
Antonia's gentle stroke on the baby's head made the infant fall asleep quickly.
Antonia 輕輕摸了摸嬰兒的頭，小寶寶很快就睡著了。
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 7-12 sibling sense 'stroke of luck': this is a physical, affectionate touch, not an abstract event. The related verb sense (verb/1) is the action; this noun sense is the act or instance of that action.
12. the rower who sits nearest the back of a racing boat and sets the speed and rhyt
尾槳手
划船賽中決定划槳節奏的選手
the rower who sits nearest the back of a racing boat and sets the speed and rhythm that the other rowers follow
Hiro, as the stroke, set the pace for all eight rowers behind him.
身為尾槳手，Hiro 為身後八位隊員設定划船節奏。
the stroke of the crew
The coach told the stroke to slow down so the team could keep up.
教練要尾槳手放慢速度，好讓隊友跟得上。
A good stroke must keep a steady rhythm even when the crew is tired.
優秀的尾槳手即使在隊員疲憊時也要保持穩定的節奏。
Nila was chosen as the stroke because of her strong sense of timing.
大家選 Nila 當尾槳手，因為她的節奏感很強。
- pacesetter
general sports term; not specific to rowing
- lead rower
descriptive but not the standard term
用法筆記
A specialized term in rowing (crew). The stroke rower sits in the 'stroke seat' at the stern of the boat and is responsible for the crew's timing and cadence. Not to be confused with the swimming sense (sense 6, noun).