Touching or prodding something repeatedly with a finger or pointed object, often to annoy someone or test a reaction.
From Middle English 'poken,' possibly from a Scandinavian source or Low German origin. The word originally meant to thrust or jab, and has maintained its meaning of making quick, prodding movements for centuries.
Poking is one of humanity's oldest forms of non-verbal communication—it's literally how you get someone's attention without words! That's probably why the word exists in so many languages, and why kids instinctively do it before they can even talk.
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