# poking

/ˈpoʊkɪŋ/ (US) · /pˈəʊkɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/poking
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. prodding with a finger

verb · CEFR B1

pushing someone or something with your finger or a stick, often to get their attention.

For teachers: prodding or thrusting a finger, elbow, or pointed object into something or someone.

- Stop poking your brother; he is trying to finish his homework.
- The child kept poking the soft dough with her index finger to see if it would spring back after being kneaded.

### 2. sticking out

verb · CEFR B2

appearing or sticking out from behind or under something else.

For teachers: protruding or appearing partially from a confined space or from behind an obstruction.

- I could see a few grey hairs poking through his dark beard.
- Several sharp rocks were poking through the surface of the shallow water, making it dangerous for the small wooden boat to land.

### 3. the act of prodding

noun · CEFR B2

the physical act of pushing something with a finger or tool.

For teachers: the instance or action of prodding or jabbing.

- A quick poking of the fire with a stick helped the flames grow larger.
- After much poking and prodding by the mechanics, the old engine finally sputtered back to life.

## Examples

- Stop poking me in the arm.
- The child was poking a stick into the mud to see how deep it was.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.