stoke

verb

stoked; stoking

transitive verb

1
: to poke or stir up (a fire, flames, etc.) : 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 carKeith Naughton

intransitive verb

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

Examples of stoke in a Sentence

The engineer stoked the coals. The new ad campaign has helped to stoke sales. Poor revenue figures have stoked concerns about possible layoffs.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But a historically-early presidential debate with Trump in late June derailed his campaign after a poor performance stoked Democratic alarm about his age. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024 By Michael Schuman The revelation that North Korean troops have been gathering in Russia, ostensibly to assist President Vladimir Putin in his brutal invasion of Ukraine, has stoked Western fears of autocratic states banding together to undermine the interests of democracies. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024 Two ballot drop box fires in the Pacific Northwest this week have stoked concerns about election security and the risk of violence in the 2024 election days before voting concludes. Julia Mueller, The Hill, 2 Nov. 2024 The big picture: Election officials have had to take extraordinary security measures this year in the face of mounting threats stoked by Trump's baseless claims that the voting system is rigged against him. Ivana Saric, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stoke 

Word History

Etymology

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoke was in 1683

Dictionary Entries Near stoke

Cite this Entry

“Stoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoke. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

stoke

verb
stoked; stoking
1
: to stir up or tend (as a fire)
2
: to supply (as a furnace) with fuel
3
: to feed plentifully
stoker noun

Medical Definition

stoke

noun
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on stoke

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