stoke

/stoʊk/

/stəʊk/

Other forms: stokes; stoked; stoking

To stoke is to poke a fire and fuel it so that it burns higher. Stoke can also mean "incite" — a principal's impassive silence in the face of requests for more tater tots might stoke the flames of student anger.

When a surfer says, "I am so stoked," it means she is excited — the fire of enthusiasm is burning hotter. It's interesting to reflect on how many words in our language have to do with the tending of fires, an activity that has become much less common in recent human history.

Definitions of stoke

1. verb

   stir up or tend; of a fire
   type of:

   tend

   manage or run
2. verb

   increase or intensify an emotion or response
   type of:

   arouse, elicit, enkindle, evoke, fire, kindle, pique, provoke, raise

   call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)