Poke about Meaning in English
expression
ˈpoʊk/ /əˈbaʊt
POHK uh-BOWT
pˈəʊk/ /ɐbˈaʊt
PUHK uh-BOWT
Definition
To search or look around, often in a casual or curious way, especially when looking for something not obviously visible.
Usage & Nuances
Usually informal and related to being nosy or searching without a clear purpose. Often used with 'in' or 'around' ("poke about in the drawers"). Implies gentle searching, not thorough investigation.
Spanish: husmear - curiosearPortuguese (BR): fuçar - vasculharPortuguese (PT): vasculhar - mexerChinese (Simplified): 四处翻找 - 东张西望Chinese (Traditional): 四處翻找 - 東張西望Hindi: इधर-उधर टटोलना - टोह लेनाArabic: يبحث هنا وهناك - يفتش حولهBengali: এদিক-ওদিক খোঁজা - অনুসন্ধান করাRussian: рыскать - шаритьJapanese: あちこち探る - ちょっと覗くVietnamese: lục lọi quanh - bới móc quanhKorean: 이리저리 뒤적이다 - 이곳저곳 뒤지다Turkish: ortalıkta kurcalamak - bir şeyler aramakUrdu: ادھر اُدھر ٹٹولنا - تلاشی لیناIndonesian: mengobok-obok - mencari-cari
Example Sentences
I saw him poke about in the garden.
basic
Please don’t poke about in my drawers.
basic
The children love to poke about in the attic.
basic
I just wanted to poke about and see what was in the box.
natural
She spent the afternoon poking about in old bookstores.
natural
If you poke about long enough, you’re bound to find something interesting.
natural