POKE
Poke, n. (Bot.)
Defn: 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.
POKE
Poke, n. Etym: [AS. poca, poha, pohha; akin to Icel. poki, OD. poke,
and perh. to E. pock; cf. also Gael.poca, and OF. poque. Cf. Pock,
Pocket, Pouch.]
1. A bag; a sack; a pocket. "He drew a dial from his poke." Shak. They wallowed as pigs in a poke. Chaucer.
2. 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.
POKE
Poke, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poked; p. pr. & vb. n. Poking.] Etym: [Cf.
LG. poken to prick, pierce, thrust, pok a dagger, knife, D. pook, G.
pocken to beat, also Ir. poc a blow, Gael. puc to push.]
1. 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.
2. To thrust with the horns; to gore.
3. Etym: [From 5th Poke, 3.]
Defn: 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.]