return stroke
Americannoun
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return strokes
plural
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the movement of a machine part with a back-and-forth motion, such as a piston, the limb of a robot on an assembly line, etc., when it returns to its starting position.
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Meteorology. the main discharge of electricity in a stroke of lightning, in which the current, after reaching the ground, travels back up to the cloud.
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Sports. in racket sports, an act of hitting the ball or birdie back after receiving it.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The piston’s return stroke then expels the gas and the now-cooled heat-transfer liquid.
From Economist ● May 7, 2015
The rockets trail copper wire, providing an artificial leader to produce a return stroke exactly where and when they want it.
From The Guardian ● May 25, 2013
Many lightning bolts emit some x-rays, particularly at the point that the return stroke sets off from the ground.
From The Guardian ● May 25, 2013
The weak discharge from the cloud, called a leader, sets up a path for the main burst of lightning, the return stroke, which goes in the opposite direction.
From The Guardian ● May 25, 2013
In a milling machine the cut is carried continuously from its commencement to its end, whereas in a shaping or planing machine the tool does not usually cut during the back or return stroke.
From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Joshua Rose
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