Library / English Dictionary

POKE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(boxing) a blow with the fist

Example:

I gave him a clout on his nose

Synonyms:

biff; clout; lick; poke; punch; slug

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("poke" is a kind of...):

blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

Domain category:

boxing; fisticuffs; pugilism (fighting with the fists)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "poke"):

counter; counterpunch; parry (a return punch (especially by a boxer))

haymaker; knockout punch; KO punch; Sunday punch (a hard punch that renders the opponent unable to continue boxing)

hook (a short swinging punch delivered from the side with the elbow bent)

jab (a quick short straight punch)

rabbit punch (a short chopping blow to the back of the neck)

sucker punch (an unexpected punch)

Derivation:

poke (hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)

Example:

he made a thrusting motion with his fist

Synonyms:

jab; jabbing; poke; poking; thrust; thrusting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("poke" is a kind of...):

gesture (motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling)

Derivation:

poke (poke or thrust abruptly)

poke (make a hole by poking)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

Synonyms:

carrier bag; paper bag; poke; sack

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("poke" is a kind of...):

bag (a flexible container with a single opening)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "poke"):

doggie bag; doggy bag (a bag for food that a customer did not eat at a restaurant; the transparent pretense is that the food is taken home to feed the customer's dog)

grocery bag (a sack for holding customer's groceries)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind

Synonyms:

dawdler; drone; laggard; lagger; poke; trailer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("poke" is a kind of...):

bum; do-nothing; idler; layabout; loafer (person who does no work)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "poke"):

lingerer; loiterer (someone who lingers aimlessly in or about a place)

plodder; slowcoach; slowpoke; stick-in-the-mud (someone who moves slowly)

potterer; putterer (a person who putters about)

straggler; strayer (someone who strays or falls behind)

Derivation:

pokey; poky (wasting time)

Sense 5

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

garget; Phytolacca americana; pigeon berry; poke; scoke

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("poke" is a kind of...):

pokeweed (perennial of the genus Phytolacca)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Poke or thrust abruptly

Example:

he jabbed his finger into her ribs

Synonyms:

dig; jab; poke; prod; stab

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "poke" is one way to...):

thrust (push forcefully)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

poke; poking (a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a hole by poking

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "poke" is one way to...):

pierce (make a hole into)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

poke (a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

Example:

a bible-thumping Southern Baptist

Synonyms:

poke; pound; thump

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "poke" is one way to...):

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

poke ((boxing) a blow with the fist)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Stir by poking

Example:

poke the embers in the fireplace

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "poke" is one way to...):

agitate; commove; disturb; raise up; shake up; stir up; vex (change the arrangement or position of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

poker (fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Search or inquire in a meddlesome way

Example:

This guy is always nosing around the office

Synonyms:

horn in; intrude; nose; poke; pry

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "poke" is one way to...):

look; search (search or seek)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Credits

 Context examples: 

Burns, you poke your chin most unpleasantly; draw it in.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“It is but child's play, this poking game,” said John.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Grant, who are always quarrelling, and that poking old woman, who knows no more of whist than of algebra.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Then Arthur spoke out:—Dr. Van Helsing, I don't quite like to 'buy a pig in a poke,' as they say in Scotland, and if it be anything in which my honour as a gentleman or my faith as a Christian is concerned, I cannot make such a promise.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“But look here, mister, I don’t care for folk poking about my place without my leave, so the sooner you pay your score and get out of this the better I shall be pleased.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And as for that monstrous animal with whom I was so lately engaged (it was indeed as large as an elephant), if my fears had suffered me to think so far as to make use of my hanger, (looking fiercely, and clapping my hand on the hilt, as I spoke) when he poked his paw into my chamber, perhaps I should have given him such a wound, as would have made him glad to withdraw it with more haste than he put it in.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Amy poked the fire and said nothing.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Also, he had once nearly had an eye poked out by a toddling papoose.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"Martin, if you don't poke him, I'll do it myself, if I fall dead on the floor the next moment."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Then they ran at once to the place, and poked the ends of their sticks into the mouse-hole, but all in vain; Tom only crawled farther and farther in; and at last it became quite dark, so that they were forced to go their way without their prize, as sulky as could be.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)