1
: a unit of capacity equal to ¹/₄ bushel see Weights and Measures Table
2
: a large quantity or number
pecked; pecking; pecks
1
a
: to strike or pierce especially repeatedly with the bill or a pointed tool
b
: to make by pecking
peck a hole
2
: to pick up with the bill
2
: to eat reluctantly and in small bites
peck at food
1
: an impression or hole made by pecking
2
: a quick sharp stroke
3
: a quick light kiss
a peck on the cheek
Examples of peck in a Sentence
Noun (1)
now you're in a peck of trouble
Verb
The hen pecked my finger.
The woodpecker pecked a hole in the tree.
He pecked his wife on the cheek as he headed out the door.
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2025
Lochlan agrees and gives Saxon a quick peck, before leaning back, grabbing his brother’s neck, and going in for a full kiss.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 17 Mar. 2025
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2025
Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley Oxygen diminishes inside the egg, forcing the chick to begin pecking its way out.
—Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peck
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Noun
Then the girls teased the brothers to kiss, so Lachlan delivered a quick peck before going back in for a much more full-on kiss that lasted a few seconds.
—Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2025
Lochlan agrees and gives Saxon a quick peck, before leaning back, grabbing his brother’s neck, and going in for a full kiss.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
Musk, normally a frenetic poster, had very little to say about politics last night, pecking out just a handful of terse messages to his 218.5 million followers.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2025
Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley Oxygen diminishes inside the egg, forcing the chick to begin pecking its way out.
—Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peck
Cite this Entry
“Peck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peck. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
peck
2 of 3 verb1
a
: to strike with the bill : thrust the beak into
b
: to make by pecking
peck holes
2
: to strike with a sharp instrument (as a pick)
3
: to pick up with the bill
a chicken pecking corn
4
: to bite daintily : nibble
peck at one's food
peck
3 of 3 noun1
: a mark or hole made by pecking
2
: a quick sharp stroke
Etymology
Noun
Middle English pek "unit of measure," from early French pek (same meaning)
Verb
Middle English pecken "to strike or pierce repeatedly," perhaps from early German pekken (same meaning)
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