Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One of the rods or braces connecting the hub and rim of a wheel.
- noun Nautical One of the handles projecting from the rim of a ship's steering wheel.
- noun A rod or stick that may be inserted into a wheel to prevent it from turning.
- noun A rung of a ladder.
- transitive verb To equip with spokes.
- transitive verb To impede (a wheel) by inserting a rod.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To fit or furnish with spokes: as, to
spoke a wheel. - Preterit and obsolete past participle of speak.
- noun One of the bars, rods, or rungs which are inserted in the hub or nave of a wheel, and serve to support the rim or felly; a radius of a wheel. See cut under
felly . - noun One of the rounds or rungs of a ladder.
- noun One of a number of pins or handles jutting from the periphery of the steering-wheel of a vessel.
- noun A bar of wood or metal so placed in or applied to the wheel of a vehicle as to prevent its turning, as when going down a hill. See second phrase below.
- noun See
spoke-stitch .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- imp. of
speak . - noun The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly.
- noun (Naut.) A projecting handle of a steering wheel.
- noun A rung, or round, of a ladder.
- noun A contrivance for fastening the wheel of a vehicle, to prevent it from turning in going down a hill.
- noun to thwart or obstruct one in the execution of some design.
- transitive verb To furnish with spokes, as a wheel.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb Simple past of
speak . - noun A piece that fits between the
axle and the round outside, orrim , of awheel . - verb transitive To furnish (a wheel) with spokes.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
- noun one of the crosspieces that form the steps of a ladder
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word spoke.
Examples
-
The frog-woman crept to her side; gazed down upon Larry; spoke -- _spoke_ -- to the Golden Girl in a swift stream of the sonorous, reverberant monosyllables; and Lakla answered her in kind.
The Moon Pool Abraham Merritt 1913
-
The title spoke for itself: two gay guys are having a baby.
Bil Browning: CNN's Gay In America: Stereotypes Abound & Bigger Picture Ignored 2010
-
Mr. McCain spoke from the back porch of the house, using a lectern.
McCain’s Hamptons Fund-Raiser - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
-
Mr. McCain spoke from the back porch of the house, using a lectern.
McCain’s Hamptons Fund-Raiser - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
-
The title spoke for itself: two gay guys are having a baby.
Bil Browning: CNN's Gay In America: Stereotypes Abound & Bigger Picture Ignored 2010
-
Nathaniel said nothing in return but he didnt need to, his expression spoke volumes.
The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton 2009
-
Nathaniel said nothing in return but he didnt need to, his expression spoke volumes.
The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton 2009
-
Nathaniel said nothing in return but he didnt need to, his expression spoke volumes.
The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton 2009
-
The depth and breadth and humanity he expressed has amazed me over the years, but the title spoke directly to these concerns, and it was a book I hadn't picked up in awhile.
-
Nathaniel said nothing in return but he didnt need to, his expression spoke volumes.
The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton 2009
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.