word-vault

{ "term": "stroke", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "ox5000": true, "cefr": "b2", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "an act of hitting a ball, for example with a bat or racket", "cefr": "b2", "examples": [ { "text": "What a beautiful stroke!" }, { "text": "He won by two strokes *(= in golf, by taking two fewer strokes than his opponent)*." }, { "text": "He played some powerful backhand strokes throughout the game." } ], "topics": ["Sports: ball and racket sports"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["fast", "quick", "slow"], "verb + stroke": ["play"], "preposition": ["by a stroke, two strokes, etc."], "phrases": [ "a stroke, two strokes, etc. ahead", "a stroke, two strokes, etc. behind" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "a single movement of the arm when hitting somebody/something", "examples": [ { "text": "His punishment was six strokes of the cane." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "a single successful action or event", "sensetop": "stroke (of something)", "cefr": "b2", "examples": [ { "text": "Your idea was a **stroke of genius**." }, { "text": "It was a **stroke of luck** that I found you here." }, { "text": "It was a **bold stroke** to reveal the identity of the murderer on the first page." }, { "text": "She **never does a stroke (of work)** *(= never does any work)*." }, { "text": "I had a sudden stroke of inspiration." } ], "topics": ["Success"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["sudden"], "verb + stroke": ["have"], "preposition": ["at a stroke", "at one stroke", "stroke of"], "phrases": [ "a stroke of bad luck", "a stroke of fortune", "a stroke of good fortune" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "a sudden serious illness when a blood vessel (= tube) in the brain bursts (= breaks open) or is blocked, which can cause death or the loss of the ability to move or to speak clearly", "cefr": "c1", "examples": [ { "text": "to **have/suffer a stroke**" }, { "text": "The stroke left him partly paralysed." }, { "text": "Smoking increases the risk of stroke." }, { "text": "She had a massive stroke and lost her speech." }, { "text": "This regimen substantially reduces the risks of recurrent stroke." } ], "topics": ["Health problems"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["acute", "crippling", "debilitating"], "verb + stroke": ["have", "suffer"], "stroke + verb": ["leave somebody…"], "stroke + noun": ["patient", "survivor", "victim"] } }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "any of a series of repeated movements in swimming or rowing", "cefr": "c1", "examples": [ { "text": "She took a few more strokes to reach the bank." }, { "text": "He swam with long powerful strokes." }, { "text": "You can't swim more than four strokes before you reach the other side." }, { "text": "The Romanian rowers pulled ahead with fast, powerful strokes." } ], "topics": ["Transport by water"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["swim", "swimming", "long"], "verb + stroke": ["do", "swim"] } }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "a style of swimming", "cefr": "c1", "examples": [ { "text": "Butterfly is the only stroke I can't do." } ], "topics": ["Sports: water sports"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["swim", "swimming", "long"], "verb + stroke": ["do", "swim"] } }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "the person who sets the speed at which everyone in a boat rows", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [], "topics": ["Sports: water sports"] }, { "senseNumber": 8, "definition": "an act of moving your hand gently over a surface, usually several times", "labels": "(especially British English)", "examples": [ { "text": "He gave the cat a stroke." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 9, "definition": "a mark made by moving a pen, brush, etc. once across a surface", "labels": "(figurative)", "examples": [ { "text": "to paint with fine brush strokes" }, { "text": "**At the stroke of a pen** *(= by signing something)* they removed thousands of people from the welfare system." }, { "text": "She caught his likeness with a few bold brush strokes." }, { "text": "I will outline in broad strokes our main ideas." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["long", "short", "broad"], "phrases": ["with a stroke of the pen"] } }, { "senseNumber": 10, "definition": "each of the sounds made by a clock or bell giving the hours", "examples": [ { "text": "At the first stroke it will be 9 o'clock exactly." }, { "text": "**on the stroke of** three *(= at 3 o’clock exactly)*" } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "with a single immediate action", "examples": [ { "text": "They threatened to cancel the whole project at a stroke." }, { "text": "They lost half their fortune at a stroke." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to make somebody make a mistake or hesitate in what they are doing", "labels": "(British English)", "examples": [ { "text": "My speech was going well until I was put off my stroke by an interruption." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/strəʊk/", "audio": "st/stroke/stroke__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/strəʊk/", "audio": "st/stroke/stroke__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "Old English strācian ‘caress lightly’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch streek ‘a stroke’, German streichen ‘to stroke’, also to strike. The earliest noun sense ‘blow’ is first recorded in Middle English." }