poke

1 a quick thrust please stop giving the cat pokes while it's trying to sleep Synonyms dab, dig, jab, lunge Related Words punch; stab, stick; push, shove; jam, jerk, jog, nudge

2 a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument you'd better shut up if you don't want a poke on the nose Synonyms bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap)Related Words counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke; body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut; cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO; bastinado (or bastinade), battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing; flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

3 an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings the constantly bickering husband and wife seem unable to let five minutes pass without an exchange of gratuitous pokes Synonyms affront, barb, brickbat, cut, dart, dig, dis (also diss) [slang], epithet, gird, indignity, name, offense (or offence), outrage, personality, poke, put-down, sarcasm, slap, slight, slurRelated Words catcall, gibe (or jibe), jeer, mock, quip, sneer, taunt; abuse, invective, vituperation; disapproval, opprobrium; disgrace, dishonor, shame; attack, criticism, knock, slam, swipe; torment, tortureNear Antonyms accolade, commendation, compliment; acclaim, applause, praise; adulation, flattery

a container made of a flexible material (as paper or plastic) the old warning against buying a pig in a poke Synonyms poke [chiefly Southern & Midland], pouch, sackRelated Words carryall, portmanteau, traveling bag, wallet; bundle, pack, package, packet, parcel; backpack, barracks bag, duffel bag, haversack, knapsack, rucksack, satchel, tote; handbag, pocketbook, purse, tote bag; ditty bag, flight bag, garment bag, kit bag, shopping bag, work bag

1 to extend outward beyond a usual point saw his head poking through the window Synonyms bag, balloon, beetle, belly, billow, bunch, jut, overhang, bulge, pooch [chiefly dialect], pouch, pout, project, protrude, stand out, start, stick out, swellRelated Words dome; blow up, inflate; dilate, distend, expand; mushroom, snowball; elongate, extend, lengthen, stretchNear Antonyms compress, condense, constrict, contract, shrink

2 to interest oneself in what is not one's concern told him to stop poking into other people's business Synonyms butt in, interlope, intermeddle, intrude, meddle, mess, muck (about or around), nose, obtrude, interfere, pry, snoopRelated Words intercede, interpose, intervene; barge (in), chisel (in), encroach, infringe, invade, trespass; fiddle, fool, monkey, play, tamperNear Antonyms avoid, eschew, shun; disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

3 to move or act slowly just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much Synonyms crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag (also lallygag), mope, delay, shilly-shally, tarryRelated Words fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle; hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge; amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up); filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporizeNear Antonyms bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede; gallop, jog, run, sprint, trot; accelerate, quicken, speed (up); catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtakeAntonyms barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz (or whizz), zip

4 to move slowly they were just poking along home Synonyms creak (along), creep, drag, inch, limp, nose, ooze, plod, crawl, slouch, snailRelated Words lumber, shamble, shuffle, tramp, trudgeNear Antonyms float, glide, sail; hurry, tearAntonyms fly, race, speed, whiz (or whizz), zip