verb Uncommon

peck

pehk

Peck (verb) means For a bird to strike or pick at something repeatedly with its beak. Example: “The hens pecked at the scattered corn.”

verb

For a bird to strike or pick at something repeatedly with its beak.

"The hens pecked at the scattered corn."

Informal: to give someone a quick, light kiss.

"She pecked him on the cheek before running for the bus."

noun

A quick, light kiss.

"He gave her a peck goodbye and left for work."

A dry measure equal to a quarter of a bushel (about eight quarts).

"The recipe called for a peck of apples."

How to use peck

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA bird's pecking motion, a quick light kiss, or an old unit of dry measure.

Common pairings

peck on the cheek peck at food a peck of trouble

Word forms

pecked past tense, pecked past tense, pecks plural, pecks plural, pecks singular, pecks singular

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The hens _____ at the scattered corn.

Etymology

From Middle English pecken, a variant of picken ("to pick" with a pointed tool) — related to "pick".

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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lot deal pick mass mountain plenty sight mess pot pile stack batch

Related words

group lot deal trade pick weight consider contract

Rhymes for peck

neck keck heck beck deck feck check speck wreck fleck Breck

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Frequently asked questions

What does “peck” mean?

The word “peck” means for a bird to strike or pick at something repeatedly with its beak. In plain terms, a bird's pecking motion, a quick light kiss, or an old unit of dry measure.

How do you pronounce “peck”?

“Peck” is pronounced pehk (/pɛk/ in IPA).

How do you use “peck” in a sentence?

Here is “peck” used in a sentence: “The hens pecked at the scattered corn.”

What part of speech is “peck”?

Depending on how it is used, “peck” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “peck” come from?

The word “peck” comes from Middle English. From Middle English pecken, a variant of picken ("to pick" with a pointed tool) — related to "pick".

Is “peck” a common word?

“Peck” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “peck” have?

“Peck” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: for a bird to strike or pick at something repeatedly with its beak.

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group lot deal trade pick weight consider contract