poker

n. a card game where players bet on the value of the cards they hold.

n. a family of card games involving wagering and individual play whereby the winner is determined by the ranks and combinations of their cards.

“He won a lot of money playing poker with his friends on Friday night.”

“Professional poker requires not only a firm grasp of mathematical probability but also the psychological acuity to read an opponent's subtle physical cues.”

n. a metal rod used to move wood or coal in a fire.

n. a metal implement, typically made of wrought iron, used for adjusting burning fuel in a fireplace or furnace.

“She used the iron poker to push the logs back into the center of the fire.”

“The heavy brass poker leaned against the hearth, its tip blackened from years of stoking the evening fires.”

n. a slang word for a knife.

n. a slang term for a knife or similar bladed weapon.

“The gang members were caught carrying pokers in the street.”

“In certain urban dialects, the term 'poker' has emerged as a common synonym for a concealed blade used in street confrontations.”

Slang · British English · Dialect

v. to play the game of poker.

v. to engage in a game of poker; used intransitively.

“They spent the whole weekend pokering in a small cabin by the lake.”

“The group spent the rainy afternoon pokering for matchsticks, as nobody had brought any actual currency to the retreat.”

Informal