Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Poke?

\Poke\, n. (Bot.) A large North American herb of the genus {Phytolacca} ({P. 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.
\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. They wallowed as pigs in a poke. --Chaucer. 2. A long, wide sleeve; -- called also {poke sleeve}. {To boy a pig a poke} (that is, in a bag), to buy a thing without knowledge or examination of it. --Camden.
\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. He poked John, and said ``Sleepest thou ?'' --Chaucer. 2. To thrust with the horns; to gore. 3. [From 5th {Poke}, 3.] To put a poke on; as, to poke an ox. [Colloq. U. S.] {To poke fun}, to excite fun; to joke; to jest. [Colloq.] {To poke fun at}, to make a butt of; to ridicule. [Colloq.]
\Poke\, v. i. To search; to feel one's way, as in the dark; to grope; as, to poke about. A man must have poked into Latin and Greek. --Prior.
\Poke\, n. 1. The act of poking; a thrust; a jog; as, a poke in the ribs. --Ld. Lytton. 2. A lazy person; a dawdler; also, a stupid or uninteresting person. [Slang, U.S.] --Bartlett. 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.] {Poke bonnet}, a bonnet with a straight, projecting front.