stoker

noun

stok·​er ˈstō-kər How to pronounce stoker (audio)
1
: one employed to tend a furnace and supply it with fuel
specifically : one that tends a marine steam boiler
2
: a machine for feeding a fire

Examples of stoker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1906, Freuchen, a 20-year-old medical student at the University of Copenhagen, enlisted in an expedition to Greenland as a ship’s stoker. Dominic Green, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2023 But the stoker — or rear rider — has plenty of responsibilities as well, Sassler said, including riding consistently while following the captain’s lead despite often being unable to see the roadway ahead. BostonGlobe.com, 10 Nov. 2022 The charismatic Jeffrey Kringer, as the stoker Barrett, and Cooper Grodin, as the ship's designer Andrews, are both upgrades on their predecessors. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 26 Sep. 2022 But several new performers in key roles, including Alex Keiper as Alice, the second-class passenger who longs to experience the lives of millionaires, and Jeffrey Kringer as Barrett, the stoker, will give this voyage its own flavor. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2022 The party and its allies spent millions in the primary promoting GOP state Sen. Ron Hanks, a stoker on the Trump crazy train, in hopes of landing him as Bennet’s opponent. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 Riggott and Rivas also started riding together as a blind stoker team that year. San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2021 In October 1881 Manet received authorization from the Compagnie des chemins de fer de l’Ouest to visit the Batignolles railway depot to make studies of a driver and a stoker at work, in preparation for a painting for the Salon. Colin B. Bailey, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020 The driver and engine stoker were killed, and several passengers were injured. Paul Brown, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stoker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoker was in 1660

Dictionary Entries Near stoker

Cite this Entry

“Stoker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoker. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Biographical Definition

Stoker

biographical name

Sto·​ker ˈstō-kər How to pronounce Stoker (audio)
Bram 1847–1912 Irish writer

More from Merriam-Webster on stoker

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!