A single movement of hitting, brushing, or moving something; also a serious medical condition where blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or bursts.
From Old English “strāc,” related to “strike,” meaning a blow or action of striking. The meaning expanded to gentle movements and later to medical usage, possibly from the idea of being ‘struck down.’
One word covers a painter’s brushstroke, a swimmer’s arm stroke, and a brain emergency. A medical stroke can change someone’s speech, movement, or personality in minutes, showing how much ‘you’ depends on blood quietly flowing in your brain.
In medicine, 'stroke' refers to a cerebrovascular event, and research historically focused more on men, leading to under-recognition of women’s stroke symptoms. In other contexts, 'stroke' can mean caress, which has been used in gendered and sexualized ways.
In medical contexts, note that stroke symptoms can present differently across sexes and that women’s symptoms have been underdiagnosed. In touch-related contexts, emphasize consent and avoid gendered assumptions about who gives or receives 'strokes.'
["cerebrovascular accident (medical, formal)","caress (for touch)","brush (light touch)"]
Women clinicians and researchers have been key in identifying sex-specific stroke symptoms and advocating for better recognition and treatment, improving outcomes for many patients.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.