ENGLISH
REFERENCE

poking

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈpoʊkɪŋ// UK //pˈəʊkɪŋ// pok·ing

v. to push your finger or a sharp object into something. You might do this to get someone's attention or to see if something is soft.

v. to prod or thrust a finger, stick, or other pointed object into something. Often implies a repetitive or inquisitive action.


SIMPLE

Stop poking me in the arm.

CONTEXTUAL

The child was poking a stick into the mud to see how deep it was.

COMPLEX

While the chef was distracted, the curious guest couldn't resist poking the rising dough to test its elasticity, much to the kitchen staff's annoyance.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and often takes a prepositional phrase starting with 'at' or 'into'.

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