poke out

Meanings

verbpoke out (third-person singular simple present pokes out, present participle poking out, simple past and past participle poked out)

present singular third person pokes out · participle present poking out · participle past poked out · past poked out

intransitiveTo be partly visible past an obstruction or obstructions.
1886, Wilkie Collins, The Evil Genius, London: Chatto & Windus, Volume 1, Before the Story, Part 4, p. 41, Here’s the Queen, my dears, in her gilt coach, drawn by six horses. Do you see her sceptre poking out of the carriage window? She governs the nation with that.
2 more examples
“Fred’s great, perfectly great,” she said, looking down at the toe of her slipper, poking out from her pink tulle skirt.
1916, Margaret Deland, chapter 5, in The Rising Tide, New York: Harper & Bros., page 69
A big round grey rock, like the upper half of an egg, poked out of the water about a mile from the stony headland.
1963, Sylvia Plath, chapter 13, in The Bell Jar, London: Faber & Faber, published 1971
Synonyms: stick out, protrude
intransitiveTo emerge from behind, in, or under something.
Near-synonym: pop out
3 more examples
As they gazed, a white face, wet with the sweat of fear, poked out and stared down upon them with eyes in which the late terror still lived.
1893, John Arthur Barry, “A Cape Horn Christmas”, in Steve Brown’s Bunyip and Other Stories, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1905, page 277
One by one five mouths poked out of the shells, demanding to be fed […]
1904, Laurence Housman, “The Moon-Stroke”, in The Blue Moon, London: John Murray, page 95
As dawn came I watched things slowly poke out of the black. Each thing was a surprise.
1941, Emily Carr, chapter 9, in Klee Wyck, Toronto: Oxford University Press
Synonyms: pop out
transitiveTo cause (something) to protrude or emerge.
Near-synonym: stick out
4 more examples
Ye see then we are but as snayles, and are chaunged incontinent. And is it meet that we shoulde poke out our hornes agaynst God?
1574, Arthur Golding, transl., Sermons of Master John Calvin upon the Booke of Job, London: Lucas Harison and George Byshop, Sermon 134, on Chapter 34, p. 692
In came the fellow, bowing and scraping, his hat poked out before him with both his hands.
1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XX”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume V, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 178
The Badger and I have been round and round the place, by night and by day; always the same thing. Sentries posted everywhere, guns poked out at us, stones thrown at us; always an animal on the look-out […]
1908 October, Kenneth Grahame, chapter 11, in The Wind in the Willows, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, pages 263-264
I felt so light and free and happy—so childish! I wanted to poke my tongue out at the circle on the grass, who, drawing close together, were whispering meaningly.
1911, Katherine Mansfield, “The Luft Bad”, in In a German Pension, London: Stephen Swift & Co, page 132
Synonyms: stick out
transitiveTo remove (something) by poking (often creating a hole in the process).
Near-synonyms: push out, pop out
3 more examples
1665, John Phillips (translator), Typhon, or, The Gyants War with the Gods by Paul Scarron (1644), London: Samuel Speed, Canto 5, p. 147, Apollo then does shoot so right With shaft that’s sharp as well as bright, Hits Ephialtes in the eye; And Hercules that then stood by, Pokes out his other: farewel he.
1842, Robert Browning, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” in Lyrics of Life, Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1866, p. 35, lines 148-149, “Go,” cried the Mayor, “and get long poles! Poke out the nests and block up the holes!
[…] he would bustle round in his slovenly fashion, poking out the ashes, rubbing the fireplace, sweeping the house before he went to work.
1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Part 1, Chapter 2”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC, part I, pages 28-29
Synonyms: push out, pop out