POKE

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.

A bag; a sack; a pocket. "He drew a dial from his poke." Shak. They wallowed as pigs in a poke. Chaucer.

A long, wide sleeve; -- called also poke sleeve. To boy a pig a poke (that is, in a bag), to buy a thing without knowledge or examination of it. Camden.

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.

To thrust with the horns; to gore.

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.]

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.

The act of poking; a thrust; a jog; as, a poke in the ribs. Ld. Lytton.

A lazy person; a dawdler; also, a stupid or uninteresting person. [Slang, U.S.] Bartlett.

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.