What it means
A slowpoke is the one who's always lagging behind, the kid dawdling at the back on the school trip, the friend who takes an hour to get ready while everyone waits by the door. It's gently impatient, more affectionate nudge than real complaint, the word you call over your shoulder to someone trailing three steps back.
Usage examples
"Come on, slowpoke, the film starts in ten minutes and you're still doing your hair."
"He's a slowpoke in the mornings but somehow always makes the train."
Where it comes from
A compound of slow and poke, an old word for a lazy or dawdling person. It's been the friendly nag for a slow mover since the 1800s.
Editors of this term
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