Etymology : Middle English, from Old North French; more at POCKET
Pronunciation : pOk
Function : noun
Date : 13th century
1. push, thrust; insertion, act of sticking in; strike from a fist; pokeweed, perennial tall plant that bears juicy purple berries and poisonous root (used in medicine for treating rheumatic conditions). push, thrust; insert, stick in; hit with a fist. pokebonnet a hat tied under the chin [syn: bonnet]poke bonnet, a bonnet with a straight, projecting front...see:
poke.
2. A large North American herb of the genus Phytolacca , bearing dark purple juicy berries; called also garget, pigeon berry, pocan, and pokeweed.
3. The root and berries have emetic and purgative properties, and are used in medicine.
4. The young shoots are sometimes eaten as a substitute for asparagus, and the berries are said to be used in Europe to color wine.
5. A bag; a sack; a pocket.
6. A long, wide sleeve; called also poke sleeve.
7. To thrust or push against or into with anything pointed; hence, to stir up; to excite; as, to poke a fire.
8. To thrust with the horns; to gore.
9. To put a poke on; as, to poke an ox.
10. To search; to feel one's way, as in the dark; to grope; as, to poke about.
11. The act of poking; a thrust; a jog; as, a poke in the ribs.
12. A lazy person; a dawdler; also, a stupid or uninteresting person.
13. A contrivance to prevent an animal from leaping or breaking through fences.
14. It consists of a yoke with a pole inserted, pointed forward. 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 make a hole by poking stir by poking; "poke the embers in the fireplace".
15. 1. If you poke someone or something, you quickly push them with your finger or with a sharp object. Lindy poked him in the ribs. = jab Poke is also a noun. John smiled at them and gave Richard a playful poke. = prod.
16. If you poke one thing into another, you push the first thing into the second thing. He poked his finger into the hole.
17. If something pokes out of or through another thing, you can see:
part of it appearing from behind or underneath the other thing. He saw the dog's twitching nose poke out of the basket His fingers poked through the worn tips of his gloves.
18. If you poke your head through an opening or if it pokes through an opening, you push it through, often so that you can see:
something more easily. Julie tapped on my door and poked her head in Raymond's head poked through the doorway.
19. to poke fun at: see:
fun to poke your nose into something: see nose. Pokeweed.