poke

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈpōk

Synonyms of poke next

chiefly Southern US and Midland US : bag, sack

: wallet

: purse

poke

2 of 5

verb

poked; poking

transitive verb

a(1)

: prod, jab

poked him in the ribs

(2)

: to urge or stir by prodding or jabbing

poked and scolded by the old folks—

Upton Sinclair

(3)

: to cause to prod : thrust

poked a stick at the snake

b(1)

: pierce, stab

(2)

: to produce by or as if by piercing, stabbing, or jabbing

poke a hole

poked holes in his heavily footnoted argument—

David Stoll

c(1)

: hit, punch

poked him in the nose

(2)

: to deliver (a blow) with the fist

(3)

: to hit (a blooper) in baseball

: to cause to project

poked her head out of the window

: to make (one's way) by poking

poked his way through the ruins

: to interpose or interject in a meddlesome manner

asked him not to poke his nose into other people's business

intransitive verb

: to make a prodding, jabbing, or thrusting movement especially repeatedly

: to strike out at something

: to look about or through something without system : rummage

poking around in the attic

: meddle

: to move or act slowly or aimlessly

just poked around and didn't accomplish much

: to become stuck out or forward : protrude

poke

3 of 5

noun (2)

: a quick thrust : jab

: a blow with the fist : punch

: a projecting brim on the front of a woman's bonnet

: a cutting remark : dig

poke

4 of 5

noun (4)

po·ke ˌpō-ˈkā

variants or less commonly poké

: a Hawaiian salad made typically from cubed pieces of raw seafood (such as tuna) marinated with soy sauce and sesame oil and mixed with onions or other ingredients

While Poke Hut will serve burritos, its specialty is poke bowls. Bases include sushi rice or greens, and from there customers choose a protein like raw or marinated tuna or salmon.—

Andy Brownfield

Phrases

poke fun at

: ridicule, mock

Examples of poke in a Sentence

Noun (1) the old warning against buying a pig in a poke Verb I accidentally poked my finger right through the old fabric. Throwing pencils is not allowed because someone's eye could get poked out. Noun (2) please stop giving the cat pokes while it's trying to sleep you'd better shut up if you don't want a poke on the nose the constantly bickering husband and wife seem unable to let five minutes pass without an exchange of gratuitous pokes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sweden and Finland have both joined NATO since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a poke in the eye for Russian President Vladimir Putin. —

Luke McGee, CNN, 20 June 2024 That's not a poke at Byron, population 581, the gateway to Argentine Township. —

Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2024

Verb

Tom Brady also chimed in, poking fun at Belichick sneaking out of her home in the early morning. —

Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024 The singers poke fun at an ex’s gifts of poetry books. —

Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for poke

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French — more at pocket

Verb

Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch poken to poke

Noun (3)

perhaps modification of Virginia Algonquian pocone, poughkone puccoon

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Noun (2)

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (3)

1708, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of poke was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poke. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

poke

1 of 3 noun

ˈpōk

chiefly Southern & Midland

: bag entry 1 sense 1a, sack

poke

2 of 3 verb

poked; poking

: jab, prod

poke a stick at a snake

poked me in the ribs

: thrust entry 1 sense 2, stab

: to produce by piercing, stabbing, or jabbing

poke a hole

: to stick out or cause to stick out

poked her head out the window

: to be nosy especially about things that do not concern one

: to search over or through usually without purpose : rummage

poking around in the attic

: to move slowly or lazily

they were just poking along home

poke

3 of 3 noun

: a quick thrust : jab

Etymology

Noun

Middle English poke "bag, sack," from an early French dialect word poke (same meaning)

Verb

Middle English poken "to jab, prod"

Last Updated: 26 Jun 2024 - Updated example sentences

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poke

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

noun (3)

noun (4)

Synonyms

Examples of poke in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near poke

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition