poke

Noun · Verb
Synonyms: pigeon berrygargetscokePhytolacca americanadawdlerdronelaggardlaggertrailersackpaper bagcarrier bag

WordNet 3.0

Noun (5)

  1. 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 poisonousSynonyms: pigeon berrygargetscokePhytolacca americana
  2. someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behindSynonyms: dawdlerdronelaggardlaggertrailer
  3. a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchasesSynonyms: sackpaper bagcarrier bag
  4. a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)“he warned me with a jab with his finger”“he made a thrusting motion with his fist”Synonyms: jabjabbingpokingthrustthrusting
  5. (boxing) a blow with the fist“I gave him a clout on his nose”Synonyms: punchcloutlickbiffslug

Verb (5)

  1. poke or thrust abruptly“he jabbed his finger into her ribs”Synonyms: jabprodstabdig
  2. search or inquire in a meddlesome way“This guy is always nosing around the office”Synonyms: intrudehorn inprynose
  3. stir by poking“poke the embers in the fireplace”
  4. hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument“the salesman pounded the door knocker”“a bible-thumping Southern Baptist”Synonyms: thumppound
  5. make a hole by poking
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Poke \Poke\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poked; p. pr. & vb. n. Poking.] [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.]

1.To thrust or push against or into with anything pointed; hence, to stir up; to excite; as, to poke a fire. [1913 Webster]

He poked John, and said "Sleepest thou ?"— Chaucer.[1913 Webster]

2.To thrust with the horns; to gore. [1913 Webster]

3.[From 5th Poke, 3.] To put a poke on; as, to poke an ox. [Colloq. U. S.] [1913 Webster]

To poke fun, to excite fun; to joke; to jest. [Colloq.]

To poke fun at, to make a butt of; to ridicule. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

Poke \Poke\, n. (Bot.) A large North American herb of the genus Phytolacca (Phytolacca 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. [1913 Webster]
Poke \Poke\, n. [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.]

1.A bag; a sack; a pocket. "He drew a dial from his poke." --Shak. [1913 Webster]

They wallowed as pigs in a poke.— Chaucer.[1913 Webster]

2.A long, wide sleeve; -- called also poke sleeve. [1913 Webster]

To boy a pig a poke (that is, in a bag), to buy a thing without knowledge or examination of it. --Camden. [1913 Webster]

Poke \Poke\, v. i. To search; to feel one's way, as in the dark; to grope; as, to poke about. [1913 Webster]

A man must have poked into Latin and Greek. --Prior. [1913 Webster]

Poke \Poke\, n.

1.The act of poking; a thrust; a jog; as, a poke in the ribs. --Ld. Lytton. [1913 Webster]

2.A lazy person; a dawdler; also, a stupid or uninteresting person. [Slang, U.S.] --Bartlett. [1913 Webster]

3.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.] [1913 Webster]

Poke bonnet, a bonnet with a straight, projecting front. [1913 Webster]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

poke

The BASIC command to write a value to an absolute address.

See peek. [Jargon File]

(1995-01-31)

The Jargon File

poke n.,vt.

See peek.

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