Poke

poke
    n 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 poisonous [syn: {poke}, {pigeon berry}, {garget},
         {scoke}, {Phytolacca americana}]
    2: someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags
       behind [syn: {dawdler}, {drone}, {laggard}, {lagger},
       {trailer}, {poke}]
    3: a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's
       purchases [syn: {sack}, {poke}, {paper bag}, {carrier 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" [syn: {jab}, {jabbing}, {poke}, {poking}, {thrust},
       {thrusting}]
    5: (boxing) a blow with the fist; "I gave him a clout on his
       nose" [syn: {punch}, {clout}, {poke}, {lick}, {biff}, {slug}]
    v 1: poke or thrust abruptly; "he jabbed his finger into her
         ribs" [syn: {jab}, {prod}, {stab}, {poke}, {dig}]
    2: search or inquire in a meddlesome way; "This guy is always
       nosing around the office" [syn: {intrude}, {horn in}, {pry},
       {nose}, {poke}]
    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" [syn: {thump}, {pound}, {poke}]
    5: make a hole by poking
    

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\, 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\, 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\, 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]
    

poke
 n.,vt.

   See {peek}.
    

poke

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

   See {peek}.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1995-01-31)
    

378 Moby Thesaurus words for "poke":
      Roman candle, aid to navigation, alarm, amber light, amble, arouse,
      assault, awaken, bag, balefire, balloon, bang, bash, bat, beacon,
      beacon fire, bear, bear upon, bearing, beat the bushes,
      beat the drum, beating, beetle, bell, bell buoy, belt, biff,
      billfold, bladder, blinker, blockhead, blow, blue peter, bonk,
      boost, box, buck, buffet, bull, bulldoze, bump, bump against, bunt,
      buoy, burrow, busybody, butt, butt against, butt in, caution light,
      chaff, chop, chump, clap, claudicate, clip, clobber, clout, clump,
      coldcock, come in contact, crack, cram, crawl, creep, crowd, cuff,
      cut, cut and thrust, dally, dash, dawdle, deal, deal a blow, deck,
      delve, diddle, dig, dillydally, dimwit, dint, dip, dogtrot, dolt,
      doodle, dope, drag, drag along, drag out, drive, drub, drubbing,
      drumming, dumbbell, elbow, exchange colors, excite, explore, feel,
      feel of, feint, fetch, fetch a blow, finger, flag, flag down,
      flail at, flail away at, flare, flash, flick, flog, fob, fog bell,
      fog signal, fog whistle, foghorn, forage, force, frisk, fusillade,
      galvanize, give a signal, give the nod, glance, go dead slow,
      go light, go slow, go through, goad, gong buoy, green light, hail,
      hail and speak, half-mast, handbag, handle, head, heliograph,
      high sign, hit, hit a clip, hit at, hobble, hoist a banner, hunt,
      hurtle, hustle, idiot, idle, ignoramus, inch, inch along,
      interfere, international alphabet flag,
      international numeral pennant, intrude, investigate, jab, jam,
      jeer at, jog, jog-trot, joggle, jolt, jostle, jut, kick, kid,
      knock, knock cold, knock down, knock out, lag, lash, lash out at,
      laze, leer, let drive at, let fly at, let have it, lick, limp,
      linger, loiter, lollygag, look around, look round, look through,
      lunge at, make a sign, make fun of, manipulate, marker beacon,
      meddle, mock, money belt, money clip, moron, mosey, mouse, needle,
      nod, nose, nose around, nudge, overhang, palm, palpate,
      parachute flare, paste, paw, pelt, piddle, pile drive, pilot flag,
      plunk, ply, pocket, pocketbook, poke along, poke around, poke at,
      poke fun at, police whistle, porte-monnaie, pouch, pound, pout,
      press, pressure, prick, probe, procrastinate, prod, project,
      protrude, provoke, pry, punch, purse, purse strings, push, put off,
      quarantine flag, quicken, radio beacon, raise a cry, ram, ram down,
      rap, rattle, red flag, red light, research, rib, ridicule, rocket,
      root, rouse, run, run against, sac, sack, sailing aid, salute,
      saunter, search, search through, semaphore, semaphore flag,
      semaphore telegraph, send up, shake, shoulder, shove,
      shuffle along, sign, signal, signal beacon, signal bell,
      signal fire, signal flag, signal gong, signal gun, signal lamp,
      signal light, signal mast, signal post, signal rocket, signal shot,
      signal siren, signal tower, signalize, slam, slog, slug, smack,
      smash, smell around, smite, snap, snook, snoop, soak, sock,
      sound an alarm, sound the trumpet, spank, spar buoy, speak, spur,
      stab, stagger along, stand out, stick, stick out, stimulate, sting,
      stir, stop light, stress, strike, strike at, strike out at, stroke,
      stroll, swat, swing, swing at, swing on, swipe, tamp, tamper, tap,
      tarry, tattoo, taunt, tease, the nod, the wink, thrust, thrust at,
      thumb, thump, thwack, toddle, toddle along, totter along, touch,
      traffic light, traffic signal, trail, traipse, twiddle, twit,
      unfurl a flag, waddle, walk, wallet, wallop, watch fire, wave,
      wave a flag, wave the hand, whack, wham, whip, white flag, whop,
      wield, wigwag, wigwag flag, wink, worm, worm along, yellow flag,
      yerk