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Synonyms

peck

1 American  
[pek] / pɛk /

verb (used with object)

  1. to strike or indent with the beak, as a bird does, or with some pointed instrument, especially with quick, repeated movements.

  2. to make (a hole, puncture, etc.) by such strokes; pierce.

  3. to take (food) bit by bit, with or as with the beak.

verb (used without object)

  1. to make strokes with the beak or a pointed instrument.

noun

  1. a quick stroke, as in pecking.

  2. a hole or mark made by or as by pecking.

  3. a quick, almost impersonal kiss.

    a peck on the cheek.

  4. (in timber) incipient decay from fungi, occurring in isolated spots.

  5. Slang. pecks. Also peckings food; grub.

verb phrase

  1. peck at

    1. to nibble indifferently or unenthusiastically at (food).

    2. to nag or carp at.

      Stop pecking at me, I'm doing the best I can.
peck 2 American  
[pek] / pɛk /

noun

  1. a dry measure of 8 quarts; the fourth part of a bushel, equal to 537.6 cubic inches (8.81 liters).

  2. a container for measuring this quantity. pk, pk.

  3. a considerable quantity.

    a peck of trouble.
Peck 3 American  
[pek] / pɛk /

noun

  1. Annie Smith, 1850–1935, U.S. mountain climber.

  2. Gregory, 1916–2003, U.S. actor.

peck 1 British  
/ pɛk /

verb

  1. to strike with the beak or with a pointed instrument

  2. to dig (a hole) by pecking

  3. (tr) (of birds) to pick up (corn, worms, etc) by pecking

  4. to nibble or pick (at one's food)

  5. informal to kiss (a person) quickly and lightly

  6. to nag

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a quick light blow, esp from a bird's beak

  2. a mark made by such a blow

  3. informal a quick light kiss

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
peck 2 British  
/ pɛk /

noun

  1. a unit of dry measure equal to 8 quarts or one quarter of a bushel

  2. a container used for measuring this quantity

  3. a large quantity or number

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Peck 3 British  
/ pɛk /

noun

  1. Gregory. 1916–2003, US film actor; his films include Keys of the Kingdom (1944), The Gunfighter (1950), The Big Country (1958), To Kill a Mockingbird (1963), The Omen (1976), and Other People's Money (1991)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unpecked adjective

Etymology

Origin of peck1

1300–50; Middle English pekken, peke, from Middle Dutch pecken, Middle Low German pekken; akin to pick 1

Origin of peck2

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pek(ke); of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Clinton had grabbed headlines for her displays while on loan at Tottenham and appeared to be above Park in the pecking order for an England midfield role.

From BBC

Every time I got close to one of the cranky old sisters, she puffed up ten times bigger than she actually was and started squawking and pecking.

From Literature

I gathered wood in my arms, and the chickens pecked around my feet for the bugs that dropped from the logs.

From Literature

The artificial-intelligence trade is upending the long-standing pecking order of Big Tech valuations as investors hunt for the next big winners and losers.

From MarketWatch

No matter how exclusive the party, there’s always a pecking order, and the coolest people—the actors—hang out in a room that’s off-limits.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.