masterstroke

or mas·ter stroke

[ mas-ter-strohk, mah-ster- ]

/ ˈmæs tərˌstroʊk, ˈmɑ stər- /

noun

a masterly action or achievement; an extremely skillful or effective action: War was avoided by a masterstroke of diplomacy.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby masterstroke

masterpiece, masters, mastership, mastersinger, masterson, masterstroke, masterwork, masterwort, mastery, masthead, mastic

Origin of masterstroke

First recorded in 1670–80; master + stroke¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for master-stroke

But I conclude it with one master-stroke of eulogy—He was the opposite of these men.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend|Charles Reade
But if he intended the speech to be hailed as a master-stroke of wit, he signally failed, for nobody laughed.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall|Anne Bronte
The building of Alexandria must be held the master-stroke of policy by which Egypt was kept in obedience.
History Of Egypt From 330 B.C. To The Present Time, Volume 10 (of 12)|S. Rappoport
This last phrase, accompanied by a significant sigh, was a master-stroke.
The Physiology of Marriage, Complete|Honore de Balzac

The use of the Latin in the services and administration of the Roman Church is a master-stroke of political genius.
Constantinople painted by Warwick Goble|Alexander Van Millingen

British Dictionary definitions for master-stroke

masterstroke

/ (ˈmɑːstəˌstrəʊk) /

noun

an outstanding piece of strategy, skill, talent, etcyour idea is a masterstroke

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

masterstroke

or mas·ter stroke

noun

QUIZZES

Words related to masterstroke

Words nearby masterstroke

Origin of masterstroke

Example sentences from the Web for master-stroke

British Dictionary definitions for master-stroke

noun