Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. sexual intercourse.

c.1707		‘Bonny Peggy Ramsey’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) II 152: Peg, thee and Ise grin a poke, and we to War will leanes.
1835		‘Kate Randy’ Secret Songster 7: But believe all my jokes – if you’d had half the pokes, in the eye, / You’d be blind e’er you seed this Kate Randy.
1842		‘Sally May’ Nancy Dawson’s Cabinet of Songs 8: There’s only one thing now I crave [...] A poke at Sally May.
1889		C. Deveureux Venus in India II 124: I want a poke, and I am going to fuck this girl.
1898		‘Suzan Aked’ The Simple Tale of Suzan Aked 39: And how on earth could you manage an al fresco poke if you wore these drawers?
1907		C. Prendergast Sadopaideia 26: And then Muriel! What a gorgeous poke. How her tongue had caressed my old man.
c.1918		‘Cats on the Rooftops’ in Bold (1979) 48: The donkey is a funny bloke, / Seldom seems to have a poke.
1941		in G. Legman Limerick (1953) 56: There once was a jolly old bloke / Who picked up a girl for a poke. / He took down her pants, / Fucked her into a trance, / And then shit in her shoe for a joke.
1945		‘Cats on the Rooftops’ in Mess Songs & Rhymes of RAAF 1939-45 1: The donkey on the common is a solitary moke, / And it’s very very seldom that he ever gets a poke.
1952		K. Amis letter 8 Sept. in Leader (2000) 291: The poke-invite could be placed anywhere off-stage.
1959		‘Count Palmiro Vicarion’ Limericks 13: An ancient but jolly old bloke / Once picked up a girl for a poke.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.
1979		D. Maitland Breaking Out 63: Rolling home pissed as a tick and ripping off a quick poke before shut-eye.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 186: At eight hundred quid, it’s probably the most expensive poke of your life!
1994		I. Welsh ‘A Soft Touch’ in Acid House 51: If ye want a poke at it again [...] jist gies a shout.
2006		P. Shannon Davey Darling 30: What sort of thing . . . having a poke?
2014		M. McBride Swollen Red Sun 228: The next few pokes went a little smoother, though she was a bit rough with him.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 236: To cheer himself up he attempted to fuck her: [...] The ancestral poke, eh!

2. a blow; thus take a poke at

c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Poke, a Blow with the First. I’ll lend you a Poke, I’ll give you a blow.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1825		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 21 Aug. 238/1: [H]e got a poke in the stomach with off fore leg of an old-fashioned mahogany chair [...] which poke put small Mr. Jones completely hors de combat.
1838		T. Haliburton Clockmaker II 101: I never liked the critter, and always gave him a poke when I got a chance.
1850		Manchester Spy (NH) 21 Sept. n.p.: He gave Ned Shory one poke ’tween the eyes.
1894		A. Morrison Tales of Mean Streets (1983) 90: Good lad! [...] Nothink like pluck. but you musn’t go to pieces ’alf through the round. Was it a awk’ard poke upset ye?
1896		Ade Artie (1963) 68: Some day you’ll get too gay an’ a guy’ll give you a funny poke.
1905		F. Hutchison Philosophy of Johnny the Gent 60: ‘McClusky hits him another poke, an’ down he goes’.
1906		New Boys’ World 29 Dec. 95: S’pose yer let’s me ’ave a rub at yer nah – eh? Jist two or three pokes fer luck?
1913		Sport (Adelaide) 15 Mar. 12/1: They Say [...] That Harold M [...] is going to give Les a poke when he gets hold of him.
1915		Van Loan ‘The Spotted Sheep’ in Taking the Count 111: You’re paid for taking a poke on the jaw.
1927		(con. WW1) P. MacDonald Patrol 11: He’s asking for a poke in the ear!
1927		D. Hammett ‘$106,000 Blood Money’ Story Omnibus (1966) 326: Don’t let your youthful gallantry lead you to a poke in the jaw this time.
1934		H. Miller Tropic of Cancer (1963) 206: He got a poke in the jaw for an answer.
1944		J. Cary Horse’s Mouth (1948) 103: A poke in the eye.
1951		Cusack & James Come in Spinner (1960) 263: The way you’re sticking your nose into other people’s business you’ll end up with such a poke in it you’ll be no use to anyone for the rest of the evening.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 168: You get a poke in the mush.
1978		J. Webb Fields of Fire (1980) 21: John Wayne woulda dropped him a poke between the eyes.
1986		L. Heinemann Paco’s Story (1987) 177: Anybody else want a poke at him?
1996		W. Orr Peeling the Onion 41: Lucky the cut didn’t get my eye; lucky the poke on the chin didn’t knock out my teeth.
2000		S. Brown Stripped to Kill 28: You have something to offer to the conversation or just looking for a friendly poke on the jaw?

3. in fig. use, a verbal attack.

1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 28 Apr. 128/1: You had better go home to your poor wife [...] look out old boy or you will have a mighty poke.
1849		Sam Sly 27 Jan. 2/1: Sam advises old C—as [...] not to get so drunk. Don't let Sam see you drunk again, or he will give you another poke.
1999		Observer Screen 20 June 6: There are constant pokes at English eccentricities.

4. a woman seen as a partner in sexual intercourse; often as good poke, lousy poke; occas. of a man.

1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) III 541: She was not a voluptuous poke to me, but why I can only guess at now. [Ibid.] IX 1896: There sat her sister watching us. — ‘He’s a lovely poke isn’t he?’ said she.
c.1900		‘Ramrod’ Nocturnal Meeting 137: He was a lucky young dog to get hold of such a poke.
1928		W. Winchell Your Broadway & Mine 8 Nov. [synd. col.] [A] newspaper man who was inserting vicious pokes [...] in his rag’s unsigned column.
1965		W. Dick Bunch of Ratbags 196: I knew Elaine was a poke for the boys.
1987		R. Campbell Alice in La-La Land (1999) 168: You sure she’s a girl and not some shit-chute poke acting fly?
2002		J. Cameron Hell on Hoe Street 26: Kelly was the best poke this side of Princess Diana.

5. usu. of cars or motorcycles, speed, horsepower.

1959		E. De Roo Go, Man, Go! 66: Slow poke. Speed up.
1999		Indep. Mag. 19 June 56: This is really nice, very positive acceleration [...] and has a lot of poke.

6. in drug uses.