poke

To poke at something or someone is to push upon it and press. People use their finger or some other object to poke at something. Other parts of a person’s body may also poke through an object and be revealed.

• Don’t poke your finger at me.
• Something is poking me in the back.
• Children often poke at each other in a classroom.
• A man poked his finger at another man’s chest and this began a fight.
• A nurse pokes a patient with a needle when giving an injection.
• My fingers poke through the ends of my gloves.
• A turtle will poke its head through the water to get some air.
• If you see your toes poking through a pair of shoes, it’s time to get new shoes.
• You can use a poker to poke at burning logs in a fireplace.

Sometimes the word "poke" is used to describe a slow person or condition.

• Drivers poke along on a congested highway.
• Government bureaucracy pokes along at a very slow pace.
• The cashier was fired for being too pokey. (pokey = slow)
• If a person is pokey, rather than wait, you can go around that person. (go around = get in front of)

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Date of publication: February 22, 2017