spoke

¹ American  

[spohk] / spoʊk /

verb

1. a simple past tense of speak.

2. Nonstandard. a past participle of speak.

3. Archaic. a past participle of speak.

---

spoke ² American  

[spohk] / spoʊk /

noun

1. one of the bars, rods, or rungs radiating from the hub or nave of a wheel and supporting the rim or felloe.

2. something that resembles the spoke of a wheel.

3. a handlelike projection from the rim of a wheel, as a ship's steering wheel.

4. a rung of a ladder.

---

verb (used with object)

spoked, spoking

1. to fit or furnish with or as with spokes.

spoke ¹ British  

/ spəʊk /

noun

1. a radial member of a wheel, joining the hub to the rim

2. a radial projection from the rim of a wheel, as in a ship's wheel

3. a rung of a ladder

4. to thwart someone's plans

---

verb

1. (tr) to equip with or as if with spokes

spoke ² British  

/ spəʊk /

verb

1. the past tense of speak

2. archaic a past participle of speak

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• spokeless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of spoke

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English spāca; cognate with Dutch speek, German Speiche

Explanation

A spoke is a bar or rod that connects the center of a wheel to its rim. The purpose of spokes is to support the structure of the wheel. You can jazz up your bike by weaving ribbons between the spokes. Originally, spoke meant "a piece of a split log." When wagon wheels were made of wood, they were formed using these spokes, which were carved into matching shapes. Wheels with spokes were invented around 2000 B.C.E. or even earlier, and they revolutionized travel, making vehicles lighter and faster. Experts believe that spoke shares a root with spike.

Example Sentences

All of the experts I spoke with emphasized that responding well is necessary not just to save lives but also to contain the spread—a priority of governments the world over.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

Dugas spoke out against a state bill to allow discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs, according to an article in Atlanta’s Saporta Report on March 17, 2016.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

Residents who spoke to AFP described scenes of terror during the earthquake, with many saying the area was no longer safe enough to call home.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Meanwhile, Aniston also spoke highly about her boyfriend in a November 2025 interview with Elle.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

But his voice seemed to shake a little as he spoke.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler