Pa. t. and pa. pple. stroked. Forms: α. 1 strácian, 6–7 stroake, 6–8 stroak, 7 strocke, strooke, 8–9 dial. strock, 3– stroke. β. Sc. and north. 5–6, 9 strake, 6 straik(e, strayk(e, 8–9 straik. [OE. strácian, corresp. to MLG., MDu. strêken (mod.Du. streeken), OHG. streihhôn (MHG., mod.G. streichen, which coalesced with streichen:—OHG. strîhhan STRIKE v.), f. Teut. *straik-, ablaut-var. of *strĭk-: see STRIKE v.]
1. trans. To rub (a surface) softly with the hand or some implement; esp. to pass the hand softly in one direction over (the head, body, hair, of a person or animal) by way of caress or as a method of healing (cf. STROKE sb.2, STROKER, also STRIKE v. 4 b).
α. c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xli. 303. Swa [swa] wildu hors, ðonne we h[ie] æresð ʓefangnu habbað, we hie ðacciað & straciað mid bradre handa.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., III. 134. Myd swyþe driʓeon handum straca ʓeornlice þane innoþ.
c. 1290. St. Francis, 367, in S. Eng. Leg., 64. He … strokede heom [birds] with is longue sleue.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 334. He stroked his berde.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xcvi. (1495), 842. Tame apes haue lykyng to be strokyd.
1530. Palsgr., 741/1. I stroke ones heed, as we do a chyldes by fatterynge, or whan he dothe well.
1575. Turberv., Falconrie, 100. Then muste you haue a little rownde stycke … with the whiche you shall oftentymes stroke and handle your Falcon.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 302. Oftentimes stroking his white beard, as his manner was when he was thorowly angry.
1619. Wonderf. Discov. Witchcrafts Marg. Flower, etc. (1837), 22. Wherevpon she brought downe a gloue and deliuered the same to her mother, who stroked Rutterkin her Cat with it.
1655. J. S., Bonarelli’s Filli di Sciro, II. i. 28. As they had Learnt to strooke each others cheekes.
1662. Faithorne, Graving & Etching, xxv. 41. Then take a piece of the whitest Virgin-wax and spread it thin over the plate, and with a smooth feather gently stroak it all over, to the end it may lie the more even and smooth.
1665. Wonders if not Miracles V. Gertrux, 7. He likewise cures the Convulsion fits only by stroaking the persons afflicted with his hand.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 6 July 1660. The Chirurgeons cause the sick to be brought or led up to the throne, where they kneeling, the King strokes their faces or cheekes with both his hands at once.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., l. V. 183. His only gesture is that of stroking his beard.
1911. Max Beerbohm, Zuleika Dobson, xvi. 241. Softly she stroked the carpet with the palms of her hands.
β. 1786. Burns, Epist. J. Rankine, viii. The poor wee thing was little hurt; I straiket it a wee for sport.
b. said of an animal.
1621. Quarles, Hadassa, Introd. B 4 b. This [steed] stroaks the ground, that skorn’s it with his heele.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., IV. 56. It [the guinea-pig] strokes its head with the fore feet like the rabbit.
1913. Oxf. Univ. Gaz., 4 June, 948/2. The male Amauris egialea stroking the brands of the hind wings with its anal tufts.
c. absol. (Proverbially contrasted with strike.)
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxvi. 187. Sua se læce grapað, & stracað,… ærðonðe he stingan wille.
1612. J. Davies (Heref.), Muse’s Sacrif. (Grosart), 51/1. So, with remorse, reuenge to execute; So, stroke and strike at once.
1675. Hannah Woolley, Gentlew. Comp., 128. When you have laid three or four layers one on the other, wet a feather in Rosewater and Musk, and stroke over it.
1699. Thoresby, in Phil. Trans., XXI. 334. Where he stroked for Pains, he used nothing but his dry Hand.
1750. Berkeley, Patriotism, § 19 Wks. 1871, III. 456. A good groom will rather stroke than strike.
1757. W. Wilkie, Epigoniad, IV. 95. His weighty hands he laid On their soft backs, and, stroaking gently, said [etc.].
d. To stroke against the hair, the wrong way (of the hair): to rub (an animal) in the direction opposite to the natural lie of its hair; fig. to irritate, ruffle, cross (a person). Similarly to stroke with the hair, to soothe (Sc.).
c. 1590. Montgomerie, Sonn., xxxiii. 6. In hir vnhappy hands sho held my heed, And straikit bakuard wodershins my hair.
1786. Burns, Earnest Cry & Prayer, xviii. For God-sake, Sirs! then speak her fair, An’ straik her cannie wi’ the hair.
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, viii. I’ll speak him fair … and stroke him wi’ the hair.
1844. W. Cross, Disruption, xi. (1846), 113. I hae a good deal o’ the cuddy in me, when I’m straikit against the hair.
1860. Trollope, Castle Richmond, I. xiii. 260. Somebody’s been stroking him the wrong way of the ’air.
e. transf. and fig. † Formerly often, = to soothe, flatter, ‘tickle’; also, to treat indulgently, cocker, make much of (cf. L. mulcere). Sometimes contrasted with strike.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. Prol. 189. Venus henvifis … That strakis thir wenchis hedis thaim to pleis.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., II. i. § 2 (1562), 70. There is nothing that mannes nature more coueteth, than to be stroked with flattery.
1600. Edmonds, Observ. Cæsar’s Comm., VII. (1604), 126. If it be demaunded, what became of these great Princes and personages after the triumph, it will appeare that they did not stroke their heads, or make more of them then of miserable captiues.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 333. When thou cam’st first Thou stroakst me, & made much of me.
1616. B. Jonson, Epigr., lxi. Thy praise or dispraise is to me alike, One doth not stroke me, nor the other strike. Ibid. (a. 1637), Underwoods, Eupheme, iv. The voice so sweet, the words so fair, As some soft chime had stroked the air.
1629. Maxwell, trans. Herodian (1635), 145. With these faire Promises he stroked the Senators.
1675. Traherne, Chr. Ethics, To Rdr. The design of this treatise is, not to stroak and tickle the fancy, but to elevate the soul.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., IX. 2175. Sleep’s dewy wand Has strok’d my drooping lids.
1898. T. Hardy, Wessex Poems, 94. They parted there as morning stroked the panes.
f. To stroke over: = PERSTRINGE v.2
1822. Byron, To Murray, 25 Dec. Since I have read the Quarterly, I shall erase two or three passages in the latter six or seven cantos, in which I had lightly stroked over two or three of your authors.
g. With adv. or similar extension: To bring into a specified position, condition, etc., by stroking. Also fig.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., Wks. (Grosart), V. 73. Hee would take occasion to stroke vp his haire, and turne vp his mustachios twice or thrice ouer.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 81. The Midwife after she haue stroaked down the bloud to nourish the Babe.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. viii. (1640), 54. The Pope … stroked the angry Patriarch of Antioch into gentlenesse with good language.
1666. H. Stubbe, Mirac. Conformist, 29. Such consequents are usuall, when the Disease is not stroked out.
1675. South, Serm., Judges viii. 34, 35 (1692), 581. He … sees the folly of Endeavouring to stroke a Tyger into a Lamb.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. xv. 407. Letting it [their hair] grow very long, and stroking it back with their Hands curiously.
1764. Gray, Jemmy Twitcher, 22. She strok’d up her belly, and strok’d down her band.
1770. Luckombe, Hist. Printing, 360. With the back sides of the nails of his fingers to draw or stroke it [i.e., the paper to be printed] over the Point.
1859. Habits of Gd. Society, xiv. 359. With his hands so full that he cannot even stroke out his splendid whiskers.
h. To express or testify by stroking. rare.
1648. J. Beaumont, Psyche, XIX. cclxxiii. And then she prais’d the steeds unwearied Pains, Stroking her thanks upon their ruffled Mains.
i. To pass (one’s hand) gently over a surface.
1697. C. Leslie, Snake in Grass (ed. 2), 114. Stroaking his Hand over their Faces (as his Custom was) who kneel’d or fell prostrate before him.
2. To draw (a cutting instrument) along a surface in order to sharpen or whet it. Cf. STRAKE v.3 1 and G. streichen. Obs. or arch.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 416. ‘… Ta now þy grymme tole to þe, & let se how þou cnokez.’ ‘Gladly sir, for soþe,’ Quod Gawan; his ax he strokes.
a. 1800. Bonny Birdy, xv. in Child, Ballads, II. 261. Then out the knight has drawn his sword, An straiked it oer a strae.
1885–94. R. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, July, xv. She … laid the knife, to mortal keenness stroked, Within her reach, where she was wont to lie.
† 3. fig. To plight (one’s troth). Obs. Cf. STRIKE v. 69.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 3192. Þire traitours on þis trechoure trowthis has strakid [Dublin MS. han stroken].
a. 1776. Sweet William’s Ghost, ix. in Child, Ballads, II. 230. Up she has tain a bright long wand, And she has straked her trouth thereon.
4. To milk (a cow); esp. to draw the last milk from (a cow) by pressing the teat. Also fig. Cf. STROKING vbl. sb.; also STRAP v.2, STRIP v.3 1.
1538. Elyot, Dict., Mulgeo, to mylke or stroke.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, IV. xvii. (1640), 198. Some say … that this onely was a trick to stroke the skittish cow to get down her milk.
a. 1658. Lovelace, Lucasta, Posth. Poems (1659), 83. No wonder if a Drawer Verses Rack,… Whilst the Fair Barmaid stroaks the Muses teat, For milk to make the Posset up compleat.
1675. Hannah Woolley, Gentlew. Comp., 215. When you milk your Cattel, stroke them well, and in the Summer-time save those strokings by themselves, to put into your morning-Milk-cheese.
1746. Exmoor Scolding, 47. Nif tha dest bet go down into the Paddick, to stroak the Kee. Ibid., 110. Thee hast a let the Kee go zoo vor Want o’ strocking.
1886. W. Somerset Word-bk., Stroke, to take part of the milk; to milk gently.
5. ? To whip (cream, a sillabub).
a. 1639. Wotton, Descr. Spring, 18, Reliq. W. (1651), 524. And now She trips to milk the Sand-red Cow; Where, for some sturdy foot-ball Swaine, Jone strokes a sillibub, or twaine.
1908. Daily Chron., 12 June, 9/6. Chocolate Hands.—Wanted cream coverers, used to curl and stroke.
6. To smear (something) over a surface. Obs. exc. Sc. (Cf. STRAKE v.3 2.)
1586. Lupton, 1000 Notable Things (1675), 88. Let … the water thereof be dropped and stroaked about the Eyes.
1883. J. Kennedy, in D. H. Edwards, Mod. Sc. Poets, VI. 218. Now she’s prappit near the ceiling, Straikin’ whitening on the wa’.
1888. A. G. Murdoch, Sc. Readings, Ser. II. (ed. 2), 33. Johnny himself was busy ‘straiking’ the melted solution roun’ the inner edge of the rim of his hat with the point of his right fore finger.
7. Masonry. To work the face of (a stone) in such a manner as to produce a sort of fluted surface (Ogilvie, 1850).
1842. Gwilt, Archit., § 1911. In London, the squared stone used for facing buildings is usually stroked, tooled, or rubbed.
1910. [see STROKED ppl. a.].
8. Needlework. To dispose (small gathers) in regular order and close succession by drawing the point of a blunt needle from the top of each gather downwards.
1875. [Mrs. Floyer], Plain Needlework, 21. The top of the gathers above the thread should be stroked, to give them an even appearance. Ibid. (1880), Plain Hints Needlework, 48. Gather, stroke, and set in.
1909. Even. Standard, 2 Aug., 11/4. In stroking gathers, the needle should be held in a sloping direction.
9. Printing. To move (a sheet) into place by a stroking-movement of the hand. Also to stroke in.
1888. [see STROKER 1 b].
10. To level (grain) in a measure; = STRAIK v.
1887. Hall Caine, Deemster, v. 30. The bushel of the poor man was not to be stroked, but left in heaped-up mensure.
Hence Stroked, Stroking ppl. adjs.
1619. B. Jonson, Masques, Pleas. reconciled to Virtue (1640), 28. But with a minde as gentle as the stroaking winde runs ore the gentler flowers.
1620. Quarles, Feast for Worms, G 3. A Yongling … (Scarce weaned from his dandling mothers tet, where he was cockerd with a stroking hand).
1693. Dryden, Ovid’s Met., I. 891. They stroke her Neck; the gentle Heyfar stands, And her Neck offers to their stroking Hands.
1890. Nature, 9 Oct., 578/2. The method adopted … consisted in determining the velocity of sound in the vapour by Kundt’s dust-figures, from observation of the wave-length and the pitch of the note emitted by the stroked tube containing the vapour.
1898. A. Lang, Making of Relig., i. 4. Such phenomena science has ignored, as it so long ignored the sparks from the stroked deer-skin.
1910. C. H. Gregory, Gloss. Build. Constr., 38. Striped or Stroked Work. Chisel marks made across a stone at an angle of 45°.
