stoke
UK: stəʊk | US: stoʊk
vt. to add fuel to (a fire, furnace, etc.) to keep it burning
vt. to encourage or incite (a strong emotion or activity)
vi. (archaic) to tend a fire or furnace
The word "stoke" originates from Middle English stoken, meaning "to poke or thrust," derived from Old English stocian (to pierce) and Proto-Germanic stukōną (to push). Its modern sense of "feeding a fire" evolved from the action of poking or stirring flames to keep them burning. The silent "e" is a vestige of older English spelling conventions.
She stoked the campfire with dry branches to keep it alive.
The politician's speech stoked anger among the crowd.
In winter, we stoke the furnace twice a day.
Rumors stoked fears of an economic crisis.
The coach stoked the team's competitive spirit before the match.