6 to poke your nose into something → see nose
pok|er /poʊ kə r / (pokers )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Poker is a card game that people usually play in order to win money. □ Lon and I play in the same weekly poker game.
2 N‑COUNT A poker is a metal bar which you use to move coal or wood in a fire in order to make it burn better.
po k|er fa ce (poker faces ) N‑COUNT A poker face is an expression on your face that shows none of your feelings. [INFORMAL ] □ In business a poker face can be very useful. □ She managed to keep a poker face.
po ker-fa ced ADJ If you are poker-faced , you have a calm expression on your face which shows none of your thoughts or feelings. [INFORMAL ] □ His expressions varied from poker-faced to blank. □ The officer listened, poker-faced.
poky /poʊ ki/ (pokier , pokiest ) The spelling pokey is also used, especially for meanings 1 and 3 . 1 ADJ A room or house that is poky is uncomfortably small. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …pokey little offices.
2 ADJ If you say that someone is poky , you are criticizing them for moving or reacting very slowly. [AM , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ 'Move!' she cried. 'Don't be so darn poky!'
3 N‑SING If someone is in the pokey , they are in prison. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ]
po|lar /poʊ lə r /
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Polar means near the North and South Poles. □ Warmth melted some of the polar ice. □ …polar explorers.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Polar is used to describe things which are completely opposite in character, quality, or type. [FORMAL ] □ In many ways, Brett and Bernard are polar opposites.
po |lar bear (polar bears ) N‑COUNT A polar bear is a large white bear which is found near the North Pole.
po|lar|ise /poʊ ləra I z/ → see polarize
po|lar|ity /poʊlæ r I ti/ (polarities ) N‑VAR If there is a polarity between two people or things, they are completely different from each other in some way. [FORMAL ] □ …the polarities of good and evil.
po|lar|ize /poʊ ləra I z/ (polarizes , polarizing , polarized ) in BRIT, also use polarise VERB If something polarizes people or if something polarizes , two separate groups are formed with opposite opinions or positions. □ [V n] Missile deployment did much to further polarize opinion in Britain. □ [V ] As the car rental industry polarizes, business will go to the bigger companies. ● po|lar|ized ADJ □ The electorate was polarized equally between two parties. ● po|lari|za|tion /poʊ ləra I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ between ] …an increasing polarization between the wealthy and the poor in the city.
Po|lar|oid /poʊ lərɔ I d/ (Polaroids )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A Polaroid camera is a small camera that can take, develop, and print a photograph in a few seconds. [TRADEMARK ] □ Polaroid film is very sensitive.
2 N‑COUNT A Polaroid is a photograph taken with a Polaroid camera. □ I took a Polaroid of them so I could remember them when they were gone.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Polaroid sunglasses have been treated with a special substance in order to make the sun seem less bright.
pole ◆◇◇ /poʊ l/ (poles )
1 N‑COUNT A pole is a long thin piece of wood or metal, used especially for supporting things. □ The truck crashed into a telegraph pole. □ He reached up with a hooked pole to roll down the metal shutter.
2 N‑COUNT The earth's poles are the two opposite ends of its axis, its most northern and southern points. □ For six months of the year, there is hardly any light at the poles.
3 → see also North Pole , South Pole
4 N‑COUNT The two poles of a range of qualities, opinions, or beliefs are the completely opposite qualities, opinions, or beliefs at either end of the range. □ The two politicians represent opposite poles of the political spectrum.
5 PHRASE If you say that two people or things are poles apart , you mean that they have completely different beliefs, opinions, or qualities. [EMPHASIS ]
Pole (Poles ) N‑COUNT A Pole is a person who comes from Poland.
po le-axed also poleaxed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is pole-axed , they are so surprised or shocked that they do not know what to say or do. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Sitting pole-axed on the sofa, he stared in astonishment at the spectacle before him.
pole|cat /poʊ lkæt/ (polecats ) N‑COUNT A polecat is a small, thin, fierce wild animal. Polecats have a very unpleasant smell.
po le danc|ing also pole-dancing N‑UNCOUNT Pole dancing is a type of entertainment in a bar or club in which a woman who is wearing very few clothes dances around a pole in a sexy way. ● pole danc|er (pole dancers ) N‑COUNT □ She is a pole dancer at London's famous Spearmint Rhino club.
po|lem|ic /pəle m I k/ (polemics ) N‑VAR A polemic is a very strong written or spoken attack on, or defence of, a particular belief or opinion. □ …a polemic against the danger of secret societies.
po|lemi|cal /pəle m I k ə l/ ADJ Polemical means arguing very strongly for or against a belief or opinion. □ Daniels is at his best when he's cool and direct, rather than combative and polemical. □ …Kramer's biting polemical novel.
po|lemi|cist /pəle m I s I st/ (polemicists ) N‑COUNT A polemicist is someone who is skilled at arguing very strongly for or against a belief or opinion. [FORMAL ]