poke
1 of 5noun (1)
ˈpōk 
1
chiefly Southern US and Midland US : bag, sack
2
a
: wallet
b
: purse
poke
2 of 5verb
poked; poking
transitive verb
1
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
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
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
2
a
: to cause to project
poked her head out of the window
b
: to make (one's way) by poking
poked his way through the ruins
c
: to interpose or interject in a meddlesome manner
asked him not to poke his nose into other people's business
intransitive verb
1
a
: to make a prodding, jabbing, or thrusting movement especially repeatedly
b
: to strike out at something
2
a
: to look about or through something without system : rummage
poking around in the attic
b
: meddle
3
: to move or act slowly or aimlessly
just poked around and didn't accomplish much
4
: to become stuck out or forward : protrude
poke
3 of 5noun (2)
1
a
: a quick thrust : jab
b
: a blow with the fist : punch
2
: a projecting brim on the front of a woman's bonnet
3
: a cutting remark : dig
poke
4 of 5noun (3)
: pokeweed
poke
5 of 5noun (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
Andy Brownfield
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- bag
- pouch
- sack
Verb
- bag
- balloon
- beetle
- belly
- billow
- bulge
- bunch
- jut
- overhang
- pooch [chiefly dialect]
- pouch
- pout
- project
- protrude
- stand out
- start
- stick out
- swell
Noun (2)
- dab
- dig
- jab
- lunge
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb I accidentally poked my finger right through the old fabric. Throwing pencils is not allowed because someone's eye could get poked out.
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
Phrases Containing poke
Kids Definition
poke 1 of 2
verb
ˈpōk
poked; poking
1
: to push something usually thin or sharp into or at
I poked the mud with a stick.
2
: to make by stabbing or piercing
The pen poked a hole in my bag.
3
: to thrust or stick out or cause to thrust or stick out
Mom poked her head inside Judy's room again. Megan McDonald, Judy Moody
Megan McDonald, Judy Moody4
: to search through or look around often without purpose
We were poking around in the attic.
5
: to move slowly or lazily
poke
2 of 2noun
: a quick push with something pointed
pokes 1 of 3
noun (1)
1
as in jabs
a quick thrust please stop giving the cat pokes while it's trying to sleep Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- jabs
- punches
- digs
- pushes
- nudges
- shoves
- sticks
- lunges
- stabs
- dabs
- jerks
- jams
- jogs
2
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument you'd better shut up if you don't want a poke on the nose Synonyms & Similar Words
- blows
- swipes
- slaps
- punches
- thumps
- hits
- whacks
- knocks
- thuds
- smacks
- strokes
- licks
- spanks
- slams
- pounds
- bangs
- beats
- claps
- swats
- hooks
- clips
- kicks
- bops
- bashes
- switches
- thwacks
- hacks
- smashes
- raps
- biffs
- chops
- lashes
- whams
- fillips
- douses
- hands
- whaps
- plumps
- socks
- picks
- pelts
- dabs
- clouts
- wallops
- cracks
- bats
- haymakers
- stripes
- lickings
- belts
- welts
- cuffs
- swings
- slugs
- knees
- buffets
- stingers
- busts
- boxes
- counterpunches
- whops
- beatings
- larrups
- counters
- shivers
- whips
- counterstrokes
- lefts
- counterblows
- uppercuts
- body blows
- counter-blows
- counter-strokes
- rabbit punches
- batterings
- sucker punches
- roundhouses
- thrashings
- rights
- whippings
- knockdowns
- drubbings
- sidewinders
- crunchers
- bastinadoes
- one-twos
- knockouts
- pastings
- KOs
- kayos
- bastinades
- wallopings
- right-handers
3
as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings the constantly bickering husband and wife seem unable to let five minutes pass without an exchange of gratuitous pokes Synonyms & Similar Words
- insults
- sarcasms
- slaps
- barbs
- outrages
- digs
- disses
- offences
- darts
- attacks
- indignities
- slights
- slurs
- affronts
- girds
- names
- brickbats
- epithets
- taunts
- cuts
- jibes
- offenses
- dises
- personalities
- mocks
- sneers
- disgraces
- criticisms
- swipes
- gibes
- quips
- abuses
- put-downs
- shames
- jeers
- catcalls
- knocks
- invectives
- vituperations
- tortures
- slams
- disapprovals
- dishonors
- torments
- opprobriums
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- compliments
- praises
- commendations
- accolades
- acclaim
- flatteries
- applauses
- adulations
pokes
2 of 3noun (2)
as in pouches
a container made of a flexible material (as paper or plastic) the old warning against buying a pig in a poke Synonyms & Similar Words
- pouches
- bags
- sacks
- backpacks
- packages
- packs
- traveling bags
- packets
- bundles
- tote bags
- duffel bags
- wallets
- purses
- work bags
- ditty bags
- portmanteaux
- portmanteaus
- pocketbooks
- shopping bags
- kit bags
- flight bags
- totes
- barracks bags
- garment bags
- carryalls
- knapsacks
- satchels
- rucksacks
- parcels
- haversacks
- handbags
pokes
3 of 3verb
1
as in protrudes
to extend outward beyond a usual point saw his head poking through the window Synonyms & Similar Words
- protrudes
- bulges
- juts
- swells
- beetles
- stands out
- billows
- pouts
- bellies
- pouches
- balloons
- projects
- bunches
- sticks out
- overhangs
- starts
- stretches
- extends
- bags
- pooches
- inflates
- dilates
- domes
- lengthens
- distends
- expands
- mushrooms
- snowballs
- elongates
- blows up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- compresses
- shrinks
- condenses
- contracts
- constricts
2
as in interferes
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern told him to stop poking into other people's business Synonyms & Similar Words
- interferes
- messes
- snoops
- pries
- intervenes
- intrudes
- meddles
- obtrudes
- noses
- butts in
- interlopes
- intermeddles
- invades
- encroaches
- fiddles
- intercedes
- plays
- tampers
- interposes
- mucks (about or around)
- trespasses
- monkeys
- fools
- infringes
- chisels (in)
- barges (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- avoids
- ignores
- shuns
- eschews
- disregards
- neglects
- overlooks
3
as in crawls
to move or act slowly just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much Synonyms & Similar Words
- crawls
- drags
- lingers
- delays
- strolls
- creeps
- shuffles
- plays
- diddles
- lags
- loiters
- dawdles
- mopes
- marks time
- hangs fire
- stalls
- falls behind
- lollygags
- staggers
- drops behind
- dallies
- drags one's heels
- tarries
- saunters
- lallygags
- lounges
- ambles
- dillydallies
- drags one's feet
- idles
- loafs
- takes one's time
- lolls
- inches
- shilly-shallies
- eases
- fools around
- lumbers
- decelerates
- trifles
- plods
- messes around
- temporizes
- potters (around)
- procrastinates
- putters (around)
- fiddles (around)
- filibusters
- hangs (around or out)
- monkeys (around)
- slows (down or up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rips
- rushes
- runs
- scurries
- flies
- tears
- hurries
- dashes
- scoots
- barrels
- races
- courses
- whirls
- whisks
- speeds
- whizzes
- zips
- hastens
- scrambles
- scuds
- hustles
- bolts
- darts
- rockets
- careers
- humps
- runs
- hurtles
- trots
- jogs
- breezes
- bowls
- gallops
- stampedes
- hotfoots (it)
- sprints
- accelerates
- quickens
- speeds (up)
- outruns
- overtakes
- outpaces
- outstrips
- catches up
- fast-forwards
4
as in drags
to move slowly they were just poking along home Synonyms & Similar Words
- drags
- crawls
- shuffles
- creeps
- slouches
- limps
- snails
- inches
- oozes
- noses
- plods
- trudges
- creaks (along)
- shambles
- lumbers
- tramps
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- flies
- races
- speeds
- floats
- glides
- whizzes
- zips
- sails
- hurries
- tears