[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/poky/)

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# poky

adjective (poky, pokier, pokiest — informal; also pokey)

«poky» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal) Of a room or house: small and cramped, with not enough space. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#m1)
2. (USA, informal) Slow and dull. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#m2)
3. (noun, USA slang, «the pokey») jail. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#m3)

### In the lessons

Everyday talk about homes and rooms: «a poky little flat». In stories it tells the reader a place is tight and uncomfortable. In The Wind in the Willows Mole's home, Mole End, is small but cosy, and Mole worries the Rat will think it poky and shabby.

### Examples

- They lived in a poky little flat above the shop. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#x1)
- My bedroom is a bit poky. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#x2)
- The car was poky and slow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#x3)
- Mole feared the Rat would think his house was poky. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#x4)
- It was hard to cook in the poky kitchen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#x5)
- We squeezed into a poky little café. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/#x6)

### Note

Informal. Also spelled pokey (especially in the USA). Not the same as «pokey» meaning jail in American slang.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «poky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poky/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«poky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/poky.html) on Mova free.