/ pəʊk; NAmE poʊk/ verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ vn ] poke sb/sth (with sth) to quickly push your fingers or another object into sb/sth
SYN prod :
She poked him in the ribs with her elbow.
She poked her elbow into his ribs.
I'm sick of being poked and prodded by doctors.
She got up and poked the fire (= to make it burn more strongly) .
2.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] to push sth somewhere or move it in a particular direction with a small quick movement :
He poked his head around the corner to check that nobody was coming.
Someone had poked a message under the door.
Don't poke her eye out with that stick!
3.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] if an object is poking out of, through, etc. sth, you can see a part of it that is no longer covered by sth else :
The end of the cable was left poking out of the wall.
Clumps of grass poked up through the snow.
4.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] poke a hole in sth (with sth) to make a hole in sth by pushing your finger or another object into it :
The kids poked holes in the ice with sticks.
5.
[ vn ] ( taboo , slang ) ( of a man ) to have sex with sb
•
IDIOMS
- poke fun at sb/sth
—more at nose noun
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- poke about / around
- poke at sth
■ noun
1.
[ C , usually sing. ] the action of quickly pushing your fingers or another object into sb/sth :
to give the fire a poke
He gave me a poke in the ribs to wake me up.
2.
[ U ] ( BrE ) power in a car :
I prefer something with a bit more poke.
•
IDIOMS
- have a poke around
- take a poke at sb/sth
—more at pig noun
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : origin uncertain; compare with Middle Dutch and Middle Low German poken , of unknown ultimate origin. The noun dates from the late 18th cent.