jab vs poke

jab and poke both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
jab	Yes	No	Yes	No
poke	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, poke is a hypernym of jab; that is, poke is a word with a broader meaning than jab:

Other hypernyms of jab include biff, clout, lick, punch, slug.

As nouns, jab and poke are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of jab include jabbing, poking, thrust, thrusting.

As verbs, jab and poke are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of jab include dig, prod, stab.

jab (noun)	poke (noun)
a quick short straight punch	(boxing) a blow with the fist
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)	a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
the act of touching someone suddenly with your finger or elbow	a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases
	someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
	tall coarse perennial American herb having small white flowers followed by blackish-red berries on long drooping racemes; young fleshy stems are edible; berries and root are poisonous

jab (verb)	poke (verb)
poke or thrust abruptly	make a hole by poking
strike or punch with quick and short blows	poke or thrust abruptly
stab or pierce	hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
	stir by poking
	search or inquire in a meddlesome way