poke out
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus.
Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!
poke out
1. To protrude, extend, or stick out (of something or some place). I caught my jacket on this nail poking out of the wall. The sculpture looks great, but why is that weird lump poking out at the side? Once shoots begin to poke out, you can transplant them to deeper soil.
2. To extend, push, or thrust something out (of something or some place). In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "poke" and "out." The child opened the door and poked out her head to see what the commotion was. The dog poked out its nose from under the blanket.
3. To gouge or dislodge something out (of something or some place) with a forceful jabbing action. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "poke" and "out." Never run while holding scissors, or you could end up poking your eyes out! He poked the plastic piece out of its container with his finger.
4. To cause or force an opening to appear (on or within something) due to a forceful jabbing action. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "poke" and "out." She poked two holes out with a pair of scissors to make the picture into a mask.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
poke out (of something)
to stick out of something; to extend out of something. The bean sprouts were beginning to poke out of the soil of the garden. I knew there were little birds in the birdhouse, because a little head poked out now and then.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
poke out
v.
1. To stick outward; protrude: A tag is poking out of your shirt. They were so thin that their bones were poking out.
2. To cause something to be dislodged by prodding it: Be careful with that ice pick—you might poke out your eye. I poked the ants out of the hole with a stick.
3. To extend something through some gap or hole, especially cautiously: The gopher poked its head out the entrance of its tunnel.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.