poky

Everyday

1. (informal) Of a room or house: small and cramped, with not enough space. tree →
2. (USA, informal) Slow and dull. tree →
3. (noun, USA slang, «the pokey») jail. tree →

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 →
• My bedroom is a bit poky. tree →
• The car was poky and slow. tree →
• Mole feared the Rat would think his house was poky. tree →
• It was hard to cook in the poky kitchen. tree →
• We squeezed into a poky little café. tree →

Note

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