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