poke

Meanings

Verb

• To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or a stick.
• To stir up a fire to remove ash or promote burning.
• To rummage; to feel or grope around.
• To modify the value stored in (a memory address).
• To put a poke on (an animal).
• To thrust at with the horns; to gore.
• To notify (another user) of activity on social media or an instant messenger.
• To thrust (something) in a particular direction such as the tongue.
• To penetrate in sexual intercourse.

Noun

• A prod, jab, or thrust.
• A lazy person; a dawdler.
• A stupid or uninteresting person.
• An old, worn-out horse.
• A device to prevent an animal from leaping or breaking through fences, consisting of a yoke with a pole inserted, pointed forward.
• The storage of a value in a memory address, typically to modify the behaviour of a program or to cheat at a video game.
• A notification sent to get another user's attention on social media or an instant messenger.
• A poke bonnet.
• A sack or bag.
• A long, wide sleeve.
• An ice cream cone.
• Pokeweed.
• Slices or cubes of raw fish or other raw seafood, mixed with sesame oil, seaweed, sea salt, herbs, spices, or other flavorful ingredients.

Related

Similar words

• see the list at pokeweed

Origin

• Middle English, perhaps from Middle Dutch poken or Middle Low German poken (both from Proto-Germanic *puk-), which is probably imitative.
• From Middle English poke, from Anglo-Norman poke (whence pocket), from Frankish *pokō. More at pocket.
• Either a shortening of, or from the same source as, pocan (q.v.).
• Borrowed from Hawaiian poke.