poke

Where does the word "poke" come from? It comes from Hawaiian poke, and was adopted directly into English (1970s).

Poke’s story begins in Hawaiian: poke meant “to slice crosswise.” Literally to slice or cut crosswise, describing cubed raw fish. It reached English by 1970s as poke. Hawaiian 'to slice'; poke bowls became a mainland US trend in the 2010s. Today, poke means a Hawaiian dish of marinated, cubed raw fish, typically served over rice.

1. Stage 1 · Hawaiian · ancient poke "to slice crosswise", literally to slice or cut crosswise, describing cubed raw fish.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1970s poke "a Hawaiian dish of marinated, cubed raw fish", Hawaiian 'to slice'; poke bowls became a mainland US trend in the 2010s.