Poke definition and meaning

Poke definition: If you poke someone or something, you quickly push them with your finger or with a sharp… | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples

Word Frequency


poke


(


p



k



)

Word forms:


pokes


,


poking


,


poked


1.


transitive verb

If you

poke

someone or something, you quickly push them with your finger or with a sharp object.


Lindy poked him in the ribs.

Synonyms:


jab

,

hit

,

push

,

stick


More Synonyms of

poke


2.


transitive verb

If you

poke

one thing

into

another, you push the first thing into the second thing.


He poked his finger into the hole.


3.


intransitive verb

If something

pokes out of

or

through

another thing, you can see part of it appearing from behind or underneath the other
thing.


He saw the dog’s twitching nose poke out of the basket.


4.


transitive verb


/


intransitive verb

If you

poke

your head through an opening or if it

pokes

through an opening, you push it through, often so that you can see something more
easily.


Julie tapped on my door and poked her head in.


5.


to poke fun at


6.


to poke your nose into something


More Synonyms of

poke


COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Video: pronunciation of

poke

Word Frequency


poke


in American English


1


(


poʊk



)


verb transitive

Word forms:


poked


or


ˈpoking


1.


a.

to push or jab with a stick, finger, etc.; prod


b.


Slang

to hit with the fist


2.

to make by poking


to

poke

a hole in a bag


3.

to stir up (a fire) by jabbing the

coals

with a

poker


4.

to thrust (something)

forward

; intrude


to

poke

one’s head out a window


verb intransitive


5.

to make jabs with a stick, poker, etc. (

at

something)


6.

to intrude; meddle


7.

to pry or search


sometimes with

about

or

around


8.

to stick out; protrude


9.

to

live

or move slowly or lazily; loiter;

putter

; dawdle


often with

along


noun


10.


a.

the act of poking; jab; thrust;

nudge


b.


Slang

a blow with the fist


11.


slowpoke


12.

a poke bonnet, or its projecting front brim

Idioms:


poke fun at

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin

ME

poken

< MDu or LowG

Word Frequency


poke


in American English


2


(


poʊk



)


noun


1.


Dialectal

a

sack

or bag


2.


Archaic

a pocket


3.


Slang


a.


b.


money

, esp. all that one has
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin

OFr

poke, poque

< Frank *

pokka

< IE base *

beu-

, to blow up, swell >

puck

2

Word Frequency


poke


in American English


3


(


poʊk



)


US


noun


pokeweed

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin

earlier

pocan

< AmInd (Virginian)

puccoon

, weed used for staining

Word Frequency


poke


in British English


1


(


pəʊk



)


verb


1.



(

transitive

)

to

jab

or

prod

, as with the

elbow

, the

finger

, a

stick

, etc


2.



(

transitive

)

to make (a

hole

,

opening

, etc) by or as by poking


3.


(


when


intr,

often foll by

at


)

to

thrust

(at)


4.



(

transitive

)



informal

to

hit

with the

fist

;

punch


5.


(


usually foll by


in, out, out of, through,

etc



)

to

protrude

or cause to protrude
don’t poke your arm out of the window


6.



(

transitive

)

to

stir

(a

fire

,

pot

, etc) by poking


7.



(

intransitive

)


8.



(

intr;

often foll by

about

or

around

)


9.


(


intransitive



;

often foll by


along


)


10.



(

transitive

)



vulgar



,

slang

(of a man) to have

sexual


intercourse

with


11.


See


poke fun at


12.


See


poke one’s nose into


noun


13.

a jab or prod


14.


short for


slowpoke


15.


informal

a

blow

with one’s fist; punch


16.


vulgar



,

slang

an act of sexual intercourse

Collins English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin

C14: from Low German and Middle Dutch

poken

to thrust, prod, strike

Word Frequency


poke


in British English


2


(


pəʊk



)


noun


1.


dialect


2.


See


a pig in a poke


Collins English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin

C13: from Old Northern French

poque,

of Germanic origin; related to Old English

pocca

bag, Old Norse

poki


pouch

, Middle Dutch

poke

bag; compare

poach


2

Word Frequency


poke


in British English


3


(


pəʊk



)


noun


1.


Also called


:


poke bonnet

a woman’s

bonnet

with a

brim

that

projects

at the

front

,

popular

in the 18th and 19th centuries


2.

the brim itself

Collins English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin

C18: from

poke


1

(in the sense: to thrust out, project)

Word Frequency


poke


in British English


4


(


pəʊk



)


noun


short for


pokeweed


Collins English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency


pokē


in British English


(


ˈpəʊkeɪ


)


noun


Collins English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin

Hawaiian, literally: to slice

1 2

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