poky

[poh-kee] /ˈpoʊ ki/
adjective, pokier, pokiest. Informal.
1.
puttering; slow; dull:
poky drivers.
2.
(of a place) small and cramped:
a poky little room.
3.
(of dress) dowdy.
noun, plural pokies.
4.
Slang. a jail:
They put him in the poky for carrying a concealed weapon.
Origin
1840-50; poke1 + -y1
Related forms
pokily, adverb
pokiness, noun
Examples from the web for poky
  • The window was a good-size rectangle rather than a poky porthole.
  • For a species that prides itself on its athletic prowess, human beings are a pretty poky group.
British Dictionary definitions for poky

poky

/ˈpəʊkɪ/
adjective pokier, pokiest
1.
(informal) (esp of rooms) small and cramped
2.
without speed or energy; slow
noun
3.
(mainly US & Canadian, slang) the poky, prison
Derived Forms
pokily, adverb
pokiness, noun
Word Origin
C19: from poke1 (in slang sense: to confine)
Word Origin and History for poky
adj.

also pokey, 1828, "confined, pinched, shabby," later (1856) "slow, dull;" from varied senses of poke (v.) + -y (2). Also cf. poke (n.3). Related: Pokily; pokiness.

Slang definitions & phrases for poky

pokey 1

noun

A jail; clink, slammer: My thoughts centered around the prospect of the ''Pokey''

[1919+; origin unknown]


pokey 2

adjective
  1. Slow; dawdling; sluggish: What a pokey waiter (1856+)
  2. Insignificant; paltry: a pokey little town (1849+)
Related Terms

hokey-pokey