stroke of work

English

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Australia):(file)

Noun

stroke of work (countable and uncountable, plural strokes of work)

  1. (idiomatic, singular only) A small amount of work.
    Synonyms: lick of work, tap of work, tap
    • 1860, George Smith, William Makepeace Thackeray (editors), “Work”, in The Cornhill Magazine‎[1], volume 2, page 603:
      But who can doubt that the bricklayer and the glazier are happier than the "man of property" for whom they are doing those humble strokes of work?
    • 1956, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (contributor), Glossary of Terms Used in Forest Fire Control, page 19:
      Each man does one to several licks or strokes of work and moves forward a specified distance.

Usage notes

  • Almost always used in the negative construction not a stroke of work.

See also

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