To add fuel to a fire to make it burn hotter, or to encourage and intensify a feeling or enthusiasm.
From Middle Dutch 'stoken' meaning 'to stir up a fire.' Originally literal about stoking furnaces, it evolved metaphorically to mean encouraging anything to grow stronger.
The word 'stoke' has become slang for 'to get excited' in surf and skate culture—it perfectly captures how literally stoking a fire creates the energy and heat that gets things going!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.