peck
verb /pek/
/pek/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they peck | /pek/ /pek/ |
| he / she / it pecks | /peks/ /peks/ |
| past simple pecked | /pekt/ /pekt/ |
| past participle pecked | /pekt/ /pekt/ |
| -ing form pecking | /ˈpekɪŋ/ /ˈpekɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] (of birds) to move the beak forward quickly and hit or bite something
- peck (at something) A robin was pecking at crumbs on the ground.
- Hens pecked around in the yard.
- peck something A bird had pecked a hole in the sack.
- peck something out Vultures had pecked out the dead goat's eyes.
- [transitive] (informal) to kiss somebody lightly and quickly
- peck somebody on something He pecked her on the cheek as he went out.
- peck something She pecked his cheek.
Word Originlate Middle English: of unknown origin; compare with Middle Low German pekken ‘peck (with the beak)’.
Idioms
a/the pecking order
- (informal, often humorous) the order of importance in relation to one another among the members of a group synonym hierarchy
- New Zealand is at the top of the pecking order of rugby nations.
- to be first in the pecking order