Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stroke” come from?

Stroke comes from Middle English strak, which derives from Proto-Indo-European streyg-, ultimately from the root (s)ter-.

stroke (English): An act of stroking; A blow or hit; A single...

Definitions

  1. An act of stroking; A blow or hit; A single...

Ancestry of “stroke”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishstrokeAny striking or hitting motion; The force of...
2Middle EnglishstrokAlternative form of stroke; Alternative form of...
3Old Englishstrācstroke
4ScotsstraikA stroke, a blow; To stroke
5Proto-GermanicstraikazA stroke, line, dash
6Proto-Indo-Europeanstreyg-to strike; to shear
7Proto-Indo-European(s)ter-strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

Words derived from “stroke”

  • stroking
  • sunstroke
  • keystroke
  • backstroke
  • upstroke
  • brushstroke
  • masterstroke
  • breaststroke
  • downstroke
  • poststroke
  • counterstroke
  • stroker
  • outstroke
  • sidestroke
  • strokelike
  • instroke
  • midstroke
  • groundstroke
  • ministroke
  • prestroke
  • breaststroker
  • penstroke
  • backstroker
  • handstroke
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- →