upstroke

[ uhp-strohk ]

noun

1. an upward stroke, especially of a pen or pencil, or of a piston in a vertical cylinder.

upstroke

/ ˈʌpˌstrəʊk /

noun

1. 1. an upward stroke or movement, as of a pen or brush
   2. the mark produced by such a stroke
2. the upward movement of a piston in a reciprocating engine

Word History and Origins

Origin of upstroke¹

First recorded in 1820–30; up- + stroke ¹

Example Sentences

For Ms. Reid, crafting elegant words with her pens is not just an artistic practice, but a physical one, with a meditative rhythm of upstrokes and downstrokes.

From New York Times

It’s all sunshine, California, and upstrokes on the downbeat.

From Seattle Times

In our hippogriff, the muscles of the back drive the upstroke, and the muscles of the chest power the downstroke, just as in living bats and long-extinct pterosaurs.

From Scientific American

He’s a minimalist at heart, but a miscreant, taking the choppy upstrokes of Nile Rodgers and making them sound like a table saw cutting through sheet metal.

From Washington Post

Researchers have analysed air flow movements behind butterfly and mechanical wings, and found that their wings clap together during the upstroke thrusting the animal forwards.

From BBC