From Middle English pecken, pekken, variant of Middle English piken, picken, pikken (“to pick, use a pointed implement”). More at pick.
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
The rooster had been known to fly on her shoulder and peck her neck, so that now she carried a stick or took one of the children with her when she went to feed the fowls. 1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 2, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC:
And the Wicked Witch said to the King Crow, "Fly at once to the strangers; peck out their eyes and tear them to pieces." 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC:
The birds pecked at their food.
(transitive) To form by striking with the beak or a pointed instrument.
to peck a hole in a tree
To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with a pointed instrument, especially with repeated quick movements.
To seize and pick up with the beak, or as if with the beak; to bite; to eat; often with up.
Occasionally a little band of exploring children with the fictitious optimism of youth pecked among its rank and tangled growth in the affectation of hoping to find blackberries there; […] 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
1713 September 14, letter to Joseph Addison, The Guardian, issue 160.
I HAVE laid a wager, with a friend of mine, about the pigeons that used to peck up the corn which belonged to the ants.
This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons peas. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
To do something in small, intermittent pieces.
He has been pecking away at that project for some time now.
To type by searching for each key individually.
(rare) To type in general.
To kiss briefly.
At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. 1997 June 26, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], chapter 1, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter; 1), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:
km ចឹក (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sh кљувати (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ms cagut (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fi nokkia (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · nan 啄 (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ru клева́ть (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · mk клука (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · uk дзю́бнути (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · mi timotimo (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fr becqueter (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · izh nokkia (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · eo kiseti (to kiss) · ms patuk (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · gl peteirar (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · uk дзьоба́ти (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sh kljucati (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · pt bicar (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · af pik (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · cs klovat (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · de einen flüchtigen Kuss geben (to kiss) · ru клю́нуть (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ja ついばむ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · uk дзьо́бати (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · wa kibetchî (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fi hakata (to type key by key) · uk дзюба́ти (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fi naputella (to type) · uk клюва́ти (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · az dənləmək (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · pl dziobać (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · nb pikke (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · yi פּיקן (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ast picotiar (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · tr gagalamak (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · mi tongi (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · qu ch'aphchay (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · el τσιμπολογώ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ur چونچ مارنا (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · uk клю́нути (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fi pussata (to kiss) · lo ຈີກ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sk zobať (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · es bicar (to kiss) · hu puszil (to kiss) · ro ciuguli (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · my ဆွပ် (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fo pikka (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sh зобати (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fa نوک زدن (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · hu csipeget (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ang pycan (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sk ďobať (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · hy կտցել (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · it beccare (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · shi ⵏⵇⴱ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · mk колве (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · cmn 啄 (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · hi चोंच मारना (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · mt naqab (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · uk дзьо́бнути (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ru чмо́кать (to kiss) · ko 쪼다 (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · da pikke (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sv picka (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ast espicotiar (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ary نقب (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · de picken (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · bg целувам (to kiss) · ar نَقَّرَ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · th จิก (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · lus chu (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ms catuk (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sh кљуцати (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · de flüchtig küssen (to kiss) · ak sɔ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fi naputtaa (to type) · ru чмо́кнуть (to kiss) · ko 뽀뽀하다 (to kiss) · el τσιμπώ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · be дзю́баць (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ar نَقَرَ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · nl pikken (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · mk цмокнува (to kiss) · vi mổ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · wa betchî (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fr bécoter (to kiss) · es picotear (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · be дзю́бнуць (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · qu chhutuy (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · mi timo (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · uk дзю́бати (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · nn hakka (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · tl tuka (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sv pussa (to kiss) · sl kljuvati (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · bg кълва́ (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · cs zobat (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sh zobati (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · cho chanli (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · yue 啄 (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · sh kljuvati (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ba соҡоу (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · io bekagar (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · ms pagut (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · fi näykkiä (to do something in small, intermittent pieces) · nn pikka (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar) · my ဆိတ် (to strike or pierce with the beak or similar)
Probably from Anglo-Norman pek, pekke, of uncertain origin.
Meanings
One quarter of a bushel; a dry measure of eight quarts; equal to approximately 9092 cubic centimeters in the imperial system or 8810 cubic centimeters in the U.S. system.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
I took his advice, and went to Billingsgate for the first time in my life, and bought a peck of oysters for 2s. 6d. 1851, Henry Mayhew, “Of the Experience of a Fried Fish-seller, and of the Class of Customers”, in London Labour and the London Poor:
22,110 bushels of French beans, at 6d. per peck, or 2s. per bushel 1851, Henry Mayhew, “Gross Value of the Fruit and Vegetables Sold Annually in the London Streets”, in London Labour and the London Poor:
Similar units in other systems of measure, such as the Roman modius or Chinese dou.
A great deal; a large or excessive quantity.
She figured most children probably ate a peck of dirt before they turned ten.
a peck of uncertainties and doubts 1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC:
ca picotí (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · cmn 斗 (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · ru ку́ча (great deal; a large or excessive quantity) · la modius (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · bg голямо количество (great deal; a large or excessive quantity) · fi läjä (great deal; a large or excessive quantity) · bg шиник (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · grc μόδιος (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · fi kasa (great deal; a large or excessive quantity) · de Menge (great deal; a large or excessive quantity) · ru у́йма (great deal; a large or excessive quantity) · fr picotin (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · fi kaksi kappaa (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · fi peck (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · de Haufen (great deal; a large or excessive quantity) · ru пек (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · ga peic (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · el μόδι (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts) · de Viertelscheffel (one quarter of a bushel, eight quarts)
To lurch forward; especially, of a horse, to stumble after hitting the ground with the toe instead of the flat of the foot.
Anyhow, one of them fell, another one pecked badly, and Jerry disengaged himself from the group to scuttle up the short strip of meadow to win by a length. 1928, Siegfried Sassoon, Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Penguin, published 2013, page 97: