poke

1
[ pohk ]
See synonyms for: pokepoking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),poked, pok·ing.
  1. to prod or push, especially with something narrow or pointed, such as a finger, elbow, stick, etc.: He was asleep until she poked him in the ribs.

  2. to make (a hole, one's way, etc.) by or as by prodding or pushing: The branch poked a hole in my sweater.It was a difficult trek, as he had to poke his way slowly through the underbrush.

  1. to thrust or push: She poked her head out of the window.

  2. to force, drive, or stir by or as by pushing or thrusting: He poked the fire up.

  3. to thrust obtrusively: The prosecutor kept poking his finger at the defendant.

verb (used without object),poked, pok·ing.
  1. to make a pushing or thrusting movement with the finger, a stick, etc.: Angle the needle and poke hard, and it should get through the fabric.

  2. to extend or project (often followed by out): His handkerchief is poking out of his back pocket.

  1. to thrust oneself obtrusively: It's dangerous to poke into something that's none of your business.

  2. to search curiously; pry (often followed by around or about): When working airport security, you often have to poke around in other people's stuff.

  3. to go or proceed in a slow or aimless way (often followed by along): We spent a while poking along at 5 mph while the traffic jam cleared.

noun
  1. a thrust or push: She gave the cake a poke with a toothpick to see if it was done.

  2. Informal. a slow or dawdling person; slowpoke.

Idioms about poke

  1. poke fun at, to ridicule or mock, especially covertly or slyly: In her novel, she pokes fun at her ex-husband.

  2. poke one's nose into, Informal. to meddle in; pry into: We felt as if half the people in town were poking their noses into our lives.

Origin of poke

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German poken “to thrust, stick with a knife”; see also poach2

Other words from poke

  • pok·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby poke

Other definitions for poke (2 of 5)

poke2
[ pohk ]

noun
  1. Chiefly Midland U.S. and Scot.. a bag or sack, especially a small one.

  2. a wallet or purse.

  1. Archaic. a pocket.

Origin of poke

2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Middle Dutch, whence also Old North French poque, French poche “bag, pocket”; cf. poach1, pocket, pouch

Other definitions for poke (3 of 5)

poke3
[ pohk ]

noun
  1. a projecting brim at the front of a bonnet, framing the face.

  2. Also called poke bonnet. a bonnet or hat with such a brim.

Origin of poke

3
First recorded in 1760–70; apparently special use of poke1

Other definitions for poke (4 of 5)

poke4
[ pohk ]

noun

Origin of poke

4
First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps shortening of obsolete pocan “pokeweed,” perhaps variant of puccoon (pokeberries and puccoon roots were both sources of red dye)

Other definitions for poke (5 of 5)

poke5
[ poh-key ]

noun
  1. a Hawaiian salad of cubed raw tuna mixed with diced sweet onion and scallion and marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil.

Origin of poke

5
First recorded in 1975–80; from Hawaian: literally, “to slice crosswise, section, a section”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use poke in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for poke (1 of 4)

poke1

/ (pəʊk) /


verb
  1. (tr) to jab or prod, as with the elbow, the finger, a stick, etc

  2. (tr) to make (a hole, opening, etc) by or as by poking

  1. (when intr, often foll by at) to thrust (at)

  2. (tr) informal to hit with the fist; punch

  3. (usually foll by in, out, out of, through, etc) to protrude or cause to protrude: don't poke your arm out of the window

  4. (tr) to stir (a fire, pot, etc) by poking

  5. (intr) to meddle or intrude

  6. (intr; often foll by about or around) to search or pry

  7. (intr often foll by along) to loiter, potter, dawdle, etc

  8. (tr) slang (of a man) to have sexual intercourse with

  9. poke fun at to mock or ridicule

  10. poke one's nose into See nose (def. 17)

noun
  1. a jab or prod

  2. short for slowpoke

  1. informal a blow with one's fist; punch

  2. slang sexual intercourse

Origin of poke

1
C14: from Low German and Middle Dutch poken to thrust, prod, strike

British Dictionary definitions for poke (2 of 4)

poke2

/ (pəʊk) /


noun
  1. dialect a pocket or bag

  2. a pig in a poke See pig (def. 9)

Origin of poke

2
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

British Dictionary definitions for poke (3 of 4)

poke3

/ (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

Origin of poke

3
C18: from poke 1 (in the sense: to thrust out, project)

British Dictionary definitions for poke (4 of 4)

poke4

/ (pəʊk) /


noun
  1. short for pokeweed

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with poke

poke

In addition to the idioms beginning with poke

  • poke around
  • poke fun at
  • poke one's nose into

also see:

  • make fun of (poke fun at)
  • pig in a poke
  • take a poke at

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.