Advertisement
provoke (v.)
late 14c., provoken, in medicine, "to induce" (sleep, vomiting, etc.), "to stimulate" (appetite), from Old French provoker, provochier (12c., Modern French provoquer) and directly from Latin provocare "call forth, challenge," from pro "forth" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward") + vocare "to call," which is related to vox (genitive vocis) "voice" (from PIE root *wekw- "to speak"). Related: Provoked; provoking. The general sense of "urge, incite, stimulate to action" is from c. 1400.
Others are reading
Advertisement
Definitions of provoke from WordNet
Dictionary entries near provoke
proviso
provocate
provocateur
provocation
provocative
provoke
provoking
provolone
provost
prow
prowess