stoke

stoke

verb \ˈstōk\

stokedstok·ing

Definition of STOKE

transitive verb

1

: to poke or stir up (as a fire) : supply with fuel

2

: to feed abundantly

3

: to increase the activity, intensity, or amount of <limiting the number of cars available…will help stoke demand for the car — Keith Naughton>

intransitive verb

: to stir up or tend a fire (as in a furnace) : supply a furnace with fuel

Examples of STOKE

1. The engineer stoked the coals.
2. The new ad campaign has helped to stoke sales.
3. Poor revenue figures have stoked concerns about possible layoffs.

Origin of STOKE

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use: 1683

Related to STOKE

Synonyms

accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, hype, multiply, pump up, raise, swell, increase, supersize, up

Antonyms

abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)

Related Words

boom, jump, skyrocket, spike; bump (up), ratchet (up) also rachet (up); blow up, dilate, distend, inflate; draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch; develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify; complement, supplement; beef (up), reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; maximize; accumulate, amass, collect; follow up, parlay

Near Antonyms

abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten; compress, condense, constrict, contract; cut back, retrench

Rhymes with STOKE

bloke, broke, choke, cloak, coke, croak, folk, hoke, joke, moke, oak, poke, Polk, roque, smoke, soak, soke, spoke, stroke, toke, toque, yogh, yoke, yolk

stoke

noun \ˈstōk\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of STOKE

: the cgs unit of kinematic viscosity being that of a fluid which has a viscosity of one poise and a density of one gram per cubic centimeter

Biographical Note for STOKE

Stokes \ˈstōks\ , Sir George Gabriel (1819–1903), British mathematician and physicist. Stokes enjoyed a long and illustrious association with Cambridge University. He is noted for his studies of the behavior of viscous fluids and for a theorem which is fundamental to vector analysis. The stoke unit honors his name.