Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
STROKE, n., v. Also †stroak, †strock. Sc. usages. For Sc. forms see Straik.
I. n. 1. See quot.Arg. 1914 J. M. Hay Gillespie ii. vii.:
In late summer and autumn the “stroke” of the herring in the water, that is, the trail of flame which it made when darting through the phosphorescent sea.
2. A weaving job or task, a web. Cf. Eng. stroke, an amount of business or trade.Sc. 1820 Farmer's Mag. (Feb.) 20:
Weavers, at particular kinds of work, or strokes, as the webs are called.Gsw. 1868 J. Young Ingle Nook 90:
He'll cut the wab out o' the heddles, An' gie't to steady Anna Peddles, Wha's been sae lang out o' a stroke.
3. = Straik, n., 10. (1). Hence stroke measure, see ibid.
4. A hyper-anglicised form of Eng. strake, of a boat.Ork. 1770 P. Fea MS. Diary (June):
Done with the first seven stroaks of my Boat.
II. v. 1. To mark with strokes or streaks. Rare and obs. in Eng.Slg. 1896 W. Harvey Kennethcrook 35:
If there's siccan things as spottit horses, what ails ye at strokit anes?
2. To lay out the dead, an anglicised form of Straik, wrongly confused with Streek, v.1, 3.Arg. 1897 N. Munro J. Splendid i., xi.:
My dear cousin, stroked out and cold under foreign clods. . . . We gathered and stroked our dead.
