Poe
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A person whose views, statements, or behaviour are so extreme or satirical that it is impossible to tell whether they are sincere or parodic. Internet
"A person who writes a parody of a Fundamentalist that is mistaken for the real thing. Due to Poe's law, it is almost impossible to tell if a person is a Poe unless they admit to it."
- 2 Alternative form of po (“chamberpot”). alt-of, alternative, archaic
"He looked for his enamel chamber pot — or poe in local parlance — whose better days had long gone: the handle was broken, there were a few rusted holes, and it was covered with a myriad of spalls. The poison of the fish soon had him vomiting in the poe."
- 3 moon blocks.
"poe divination"
- 4 Initialism of plasma oscillation event. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 5 Initialism of Power over Ethernet. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
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- 6 A post, comment, or message whose sincerity cannot be determined; specifically, one that may be parody, satire, or trolling, but could also be a genuine expression of belief. Internet
"In this context, a Poe refers to a person, post, or news story that could cause Poe's law to be invoked.… A typical phrase would be “it’s a Poe, guys, don’t be so stupid” when an extremely rational link is posted."
- 7 Initialism of Path of Exile. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 1 To impersonate or mimic an extreme viewpoint in a way that invokes Poe's law. Internet
- 2 To write or create a message so extreme or parodic that it is difficult to distinguish from sincere extremism. Internet
- 1 A surname from Old Norse countable, uncountable
- 2 A surname from Old Norse:; Edgar Allan Poe, an American author and poet of the 19th century, known especially for his dark themes. countable, uncountable
- 3 An unincorporated community in Allen County, Indiana, United States. countable, uncountable
- 4 An unincorporated community in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"Although critics have sometimes dismissed genre fiction as escapist, poorly written and full of clichés, some writers — such as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe — have transcended the genres of science fiction or of horror to craft classic works of literature."
Etymology
A nickname from Old Norse pái (“peacock”). This surname is also well established in Ireland.
From Poe's law, an Internet adage coined by Nathan Poe in 2005 on the Christian Forums website. Originally applied to religious fundamentalism, the term has since broadened to describe any situation where parody and sincerity are indistinguishable.
Derived from the Hokkien 桮 (“poe”)
More for "poe"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.