Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Informal Dawdling; slow: waited for the poky sales clerk to ring up the sale.
- adj. Informal Frumpish; shabby: found poky old clothes at the thrift store.
- adj. Informal Small and cramped: a poky but inexpensive apartment.
- n. Slang Variant of pokey1.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Slow; dull; stupid: said of persons.—2. Confined; cramped; musty; stuffy: said of places.
- Poor; shabby.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Confined; cramped.
- adj. Dull; tedious; uninteresting.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
- adj. small and remote and insignificant
- adj. wasting time
Etymologies
- From poke1.
Examples
“Barbara Leicester was always a frank and outspoken person, and the young people were sure to hear her opinion whenever they asked for it; but she herself seemed to grow younger, in these days, and Betty pleased her immensely one day, when it was mentioned that a certain person who wore caps, and was what Betty called "poky," was about Miss Barbara's age:”
“When supper was announced, Polly happened to be talking, or trying to talk, to one of the "poky" gentlemen whom Fan had introduced.”
An Old-Fashioned Girl
“Charley found his boarding-house a little "poky," to borrow his own phrase, and he was pleased with Farnsworth's invitation.”
“Not being too rapted in those "poky" little metal adjustment wheels, I'd go for a shim adjusted bridge with a bone insert.”
“Kenelm colored up some -- he always h'isted danger signals when women heave in sight -- and agreed that 'twas kind of poky bein 'all alone.”
“That 's the way we girls studied at school, except a few 'poky' ones, who wanted to be learned, or meant to be teachers. ”
“Mostly the film just seemed too poky and unnecessarily artsy.”
“The film gets a bit poky and dialogue-heavy at times, but both of us enjoyed it.”
“And the next-to-last: “So the poky little puppy had to go to bed without a single bite of shortcake, and he felt very sorry for himself.””
“Some of its themes conflict with the orthodoxies of child-rearing of 21st century, when psychologists instruct adults not to label children “poky” or “shy” or to withhold food as punishment (or even to use the word “punishment” instead of “discipline”).”
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