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peck
peck1 / pek/ • v. [intr.] (of a bird) strike or bite something with its beak: two geese were pecking at some grain| [tr.] beaks may be cut off to stop the hens pecking each other. ∎ [tr.] make (a hole) by striking with the beak: robins are the worst culprits, pecking holes in every cherry. ∎ [tr.] remove or pluck out by biting with the beak: vultures swooping down to peck out the calf's eyes. ∎ [tr.] kiss (someone) lightly or perfunctorily: she pecked him on the cheek. ∎ (peck at) inf. (of a person) eat (food) listlessly or daintily: don't peck at your food, eat a whole mouthful. ∎ (peck at) criticize or nag: defects for a critic to peck at. ∎ [tr.] type (something) slowly and laboriously: his son Paul was pecking out letters with two fingers on his typewriter. ∎ inf. (of a horse) pitch forward or stumble as a result of striking the ground with the front rather than the flat of the hoof: her father's horse had pecked slightly on landing. ∎ [tr.] archaic strike with a pick or other tool: part of a wall was pecked down and carted away. • n. 1. a stroke or bite by a bird with its beak: the bird managed to give its attacker a sharp peck. ∎ a light or perfunctory kiss: a fatherly peck on the cheek. 2. archaic food: he wants a little more peck. peck2 • n. a measure of capacity for dry goods, equal to a quarter of a bushel (8 U.S. quarts = 8.81 liters, or 2 imperial gallons = 9.092 liters). ∎ archaic a large number or amount of something: a peck of dirt. |
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Cite this article
"peck." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "peck." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-peck005.html "peck." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-peck005.html |
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peck
peck a measure of capacity for dry goods, equal to a quarter of a bushel (2 imperial gallons = 9.092 l, or 8 US quarts = 8.81 l). The word is recorded from Middle English (used especially as a measure of oats for horses) and comes from Anglo-Norman French pek, of unknown origin.
a peck of March dust is worth a king's ransom proverbial saying, early 16th century, meaning that March is traditionally a wet month, and dust is rare. See also we must eat a peck of dirt before we die. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "peck." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "peck." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-peck.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "peck." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-peck.html |
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Peck
Pecka measured quantity of either dry or wet substance; a fourth part of a bushel; more generally, a considerable quantity or number. Examples : peck of ashes, 1710; of bees, 1713; of corn, 1386; of dirt, 1710; of kisses; of lies, 1539; of luck; of malt, 1789; of oatmeal, 1464; of oats, 1485; of pepper; of salt, 1603; of troubles, 1535. |
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"Peck." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Peck." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301090.html "Peck." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301090.html |
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peck
peck2 strike or take food with the beak XIV; strike with pointed tool XVI. of uncert. orig.; cf. PICK2, and MLG. pekken peck with the beak.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "peck." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "peck." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-peck1.html T. F. HOAD. "peck." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-peck1.html |
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peck
peck1 ¼ bushel. XIII. — AN. pek, of unkn. orig.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "peck." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "peck." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-peck.html T. F. HOAD. "peck." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-peck.html |
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peck
peck see English units of measurement . |
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"peck." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "peck." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-peck.html "peck." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-peck.html |
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peck
peck •beck, bedeck, check, cheque, Chiang Kai-shek, crosscheck, Czech, deck, dreck, exec, fleck, heck, hitech, keck, lek, neck, peck, Québec, rec, reck, sec, sneck, spec, speck, spot-check, tec, tech, Toulouse-Lautrec, trek, wreck
•Hayek • Baalbek • pinchbeck
•Steinbeck • Warbeck
•Brubeck, Lübeck
•Uzbek • Beiderbecke • hacek
•soundcheck • Dubcek • foredeck
•sundeck • afterdeck • quarterdeck
•Dalek, Palekh
•fartlek • Chichimec • Olmec • redneck
•breakneck • V-neck • bottleneck
•swan-neck • roughneck • rubberneck
•halterneck • leatherneck • turtleneck
•henpeck • kopek • shipwreck • Hasek
•Aztec • Mixtec • Toltec • infotech
•discothèque • Zapotec
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Cite this article
"peck." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "peck." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-peck.html "peck." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-peck.html |
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