poke Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun tall coarse perennial American herb having small white flowers followed by blackish-red berries on long drooping racemes; young fleshy stems are edible; berries and root are poisonous
scoke; Phytolacca americana; garget; pigeon berry.
noun someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
dawdler; laggard; drone; lagger; trailer.
noun a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases
carrier bag; paper bag; sack.
noun a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
thrusting; poking; jabbing; thrust; jab.
- he warned me with a jab with his finger
- he made a thrusting motion with his fist
noun (boxing) a blow with the fist
biff; punch; clout; lick; slug.
- I gave him a clout on his nose
verb poke or thrust abruptly
stab; dig; prod; jab.
- he jabbed his finger into her ribs
verb search or inquire in a meddlesome way
horn in; intrude; pry; nose.
- This guy is always nosing around the office
verb stir by poking
- poke the embers in the fireplace
verb hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
pound; thump.
- the salesman pounded the door knocker
- a bible-thumping Southern Baptist
verb make a hole by poking

(Bot.) A large North American herb of the genus Phytolacca (P. 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.

AS. poca, poha, pohha; akin to Icel. poki, OD. poke, and perh. to E. pock; cf. also Gael.poca, and OF. poque. Cf. Pock, Pocket, Pouch.

A bag; a sack; a pocket. "He drew a dial from his poke." Shak.
They wallowed as pigs in a poke. Chaucer.
A long, wide sleeve; -- called also poke sleeve. Camden.

Cf. LG. poken to prick, pierce, thrust, pok a dagger, knife, D. pook, G. pocken to beat, also Ir. poc a blow, Gael. puc to push.

imperfect & past participle Poked ; present participle & verbal noun 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 ?" Chaucer.
To thrust with the horns; to gore.
From 5th Poke, 3. To put a poke on; as, to poke an ox. Colloq. U. S.

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. Prior.

The act of poking; a thrust; a jog; as, a poke in the ribs. Ld. Lytton.
A lazy person; a dawdler; also, a stupid or uninteresting person. Slang, U.S. Bartlett.
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.