1. "Strokes" as a general term for figurative language in idioms:
* Figurative Language: Idioms are a type of figurative language, where the meaning is not literal but rather symbolic or metaphorical. "Strokes" might be used in a broad sense to refer to the different ways idioms employ figurative language. For example, one might say an idiom "uses a stroke of hyperbole" or "relies on a stroke of personification."
2. "Strokes" as a specific type of figurative language in idioms:
* Figurative Devices: Idioms often utilize specific literary devices like:
* Metaphor: Comparing something to something else without using "like" or "as" (e.g., "He kicked the bucket" meaning "He died.")
* Simile: Comparing something to something else using "like" or "as" (e.g., "He's as strong as an ox.")
* Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., "The wind whispered secrets.")
* Hyperbole: Exaggeration (e.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.")
* Understatement: Downplaying something (e.g., "I'm a little bit tired" after staying up all night.)
3. "Strokes" as a metaphor for the impact of idioms:
* Impact and Effect: One could use "strokes" metaphorically to describe the impact or effect of an idiom. For example:
* "That idiom really hit the nail on the head" - The idiom is very effective.
* "The writer used a few clever strokes of language to convey the mood." - The idioms chosen were impactful.
Need more context?
To give you a more precise answer, please provide more context about where you encountered the term "strokes" in relation to idioms. For example:
* Was this from a book, article, or conversation?
* What was the specific sentence or phrase?
* What was the overall topic being discussed?
With more information, I can help you understand what "strokes" means in that specific context.