A stroke of the worst misfortune? (8)

I believe the answer is:

apoplexy

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'a stroke' is the definition.
(I know that stroke can be written as apoplexy)

I can't explain the remainder of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for apoplexy that I've seen before include "Incapacity due to extreme anger" , "Speechlessness caused by fury" , "man fit" , "Eruption of furious anger (colloq.)" , "Speechlessness due to fury" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.

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