stroke

noun

1. An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
2. An act of striking with a weapon; a blow.
3. A single movement with a tool; also, an impact of a tool on an object.
4. The hitting of a bell or similar by the clapper or hammer of a clock; the sound thereof; the time when this occurs.
5. The action of hitting the ball with the bat; a shot.
6. A single act of striking at the ball with a club; also, at matchplay, a shot deducted from a player's score at a hole as a result of a handicapping system.
7. A point awarded to a player in case of interference or obstruction by the opponent.
8. The hitting of a ball with a racket; also, the movement of the racket and arm that produces that impact.
9. One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished.
10. The movement of an oar or paddle through water: either the cycle of movement as a whole, or the propelling phase (as opposed to the return); the manner in which such movements are made; a rowing style.
11. The rower nearest the stern of the boat, the movement of whose oar sets the rhythm for the other rowers; the position in the boat occupied by this rower.
12. A movement of the arms and legs which propels a swimmer through the water; a specific combination of such movements, constituting a swimming style.
13. A beat or throb, as of the heart or pulse.
14. A single movement or thrust of a reciprocating device (such as a piston or connecting rod).
15. The length of this movement.
16. A thrust of the penis during sexual intercourse.
17. An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
18. A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
19. An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
20. A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done or produced; also, something accomplished by such an effort; an achievement, a feat.