POKE • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Poke

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/poʊk/ Listen

verb

Poke v. t. (past & past part. poked; pres. part. poking)

To thrust or push against or into with anything pointed; hence, to stir up; to excite; as, to poke a fire. "He poked John, and said "Sleepest thou?""

To thrust with the horns; to gore.

To put a poke on; as, to poke an ox. (Colloq. U. S.)

To poke fun, to excite fun; to joke; to jest. (Colloq.)

To poke fun at, to make a butt of; to ridicule. (Colloq.)

Poke v. i. To search; to feel one's way, as in the dark; to grope; as, to poke about. "A man must have poked into Latin and Greek."

noun

Poke n. (Bot.) A large North American herb of the genus Phytolacca (Phytolacca decandra), bearing dark purple juicy berries; called also garget, pigeon berry, pocan, and pokeweed. The root and berries have emetic and purgative properties, and are used in medicine. The young shoots are sometimes eaten as a substitute for asparagus, and the berries are said to be used in Europe to color wine.

Poke n.

A bag; a sack; a pocket. "He drew a dial from his poke." "They wallowed as pigs in a poke."

A long, wide sleeve; called also poke sleeve.

To boy a pig a poke (that is, in a bag), to buy a thing without knowledge or examination of it.

Poke n.

The act of poking; a thrust; a jog; as, a poke in the ribs.

A lazy person; a dawdler; also, a stupid or uninteresting person. (Slang, U.S.)

A contrivance to prevent an animal from leaping or breaking through fences. It consists of a yoke with a pole inserted, pointed forward. (U.S.)

Poke bonnet, a bonnet with a straight, projecting front.

See images of 'Poke'

Etymology of 'Poke'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Poke" Quotes from Famous Books

... Henry Bridges. We was raised up children together and married. I had five sisters. My brother died here in Oklahoma about two years ago. He was a Fisher. Mary Russell, my sister, she lives in Parish, Texas; Willie Ann Poke, she lives in Greenville, Texas; Winnie Jackson, lives in Adonia, Texas, and Mattie White, my other sister, lives in Long Oak, Texas, ...

— Slave Narratives, Oklahoma - A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From - Interviews with Former Slaves • Various

... the poker in his hand and proceeded to poke the fire; but somehow he did not look at the fire. He looked askant at Monckton, and he showed the white of his eyes more and more. Monckton kept his eye upon him and put his hand upon ...

— A Perilous Secret • Charles Reade

... unties the poke, Which out of it sent such a smoke, As ready was them all to choke, So grievous was the pother; So that the knights each other lost, And stood as still as any post; Tom Thumb nor Tomalin could boast ...

— The Sources and Analogues of 'A Midsummer-night's Dream' • Compiled by Frank Sidgwick

... that she knew the young Californian occupied. It was open. Leaning through the rose-vine she called faintly,—"Archie! Archie!" But the young painter slept solidly, and she was forced to take a stick and poke the bunch of bed-clothes in the corner before she could arouse the sleeping Archie. When he came to ...

— Clark's Field • Robert Herrick

... verdant Vermont, Of wisdom you may be a marvellous font; But you'll hardly get JOHN,—'tis too much of a joke!— To buy in your fashion a Pig in a Poke; Which nobody can expect! ...

— Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 99, Sept. 27, 1890 • Various

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