poke
1[ pohk ]
/ poʊk /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object), poked, pok·ing.
verb (used without object), poked, pok·ing.
noun
a thrust or push.
Informal. a slow or dawdling person; slowpoke.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Idioms for poke
poke fun at, to ridicule or mock, especially covertly or slyly: In her novel, she pokes fun at her ex-husband.
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
1First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German poken “to thrust, stick with a knife”; see also poach1
OTHER WORDS FROM poke
pok·a·ble, adjectiveWords nearby poke
poitín, Poitou, Poitou-Charentes, poitrine, pokal, poke, poke around, pokeberry, poke check, poke fun at, pokelogan
Definition for poke (2 of 5)
poke2
[ pohk ]
/ poʊk /
noun
Chiefly Midland U.S. and Scot.. a bag or sack, especially a small one.
a wallet or purse.
Archaic. a pocket.
Definition for poke (3 of 5)
poke3
[ pohk ]
/ poʊk /
noun
a projecting brim at the front of a bonnet, framing the face.
Also called poke bonnet. a bonnet or hat with such a brim.
Origin of poke
3First recorded in 1760–70; apparently special use of poke1
Definition for poke (4 of 5)
Origin of poke
4First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps shortening of obsolete pocan “pokeweed,” perhaps variant of puccoon (pokeberries and puccoon roots were both sources of red dye)
Definition for poke (5 of 5)
poke5
[ poh-key ]
/ poʊˈkeɪ /
noun
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
5First 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for poke
Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative?
“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time
“Effectiveness” vs. “Efficacy” vs. “Efficiency”: When To Use Each Word For The Best Results
What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?
Wild Weather Words You Need To Know
What Is “GOP” Short For?
British Dictionary definitions for poke (1 of 4)
poke1
/ (pəʊk) /
verb
noun
Word Origin for poke
C14: from Low German and Middle Dutch poken to thrust, prod, strike
British Dictionary definitions for poke (2 of 4)
Word Origin for poke
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
Also called: poke bonnet a woman's bonnet with a brim that projects at the front, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries
the brim itself
Word Origin for poke
C18: from poke 1 (in the sense: to thrust out, project)
British Dictionary definitions for poke (4 of 4)
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
Idioms and Phrases with poke
poke
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.