From Middle English pepen. Compare Dutch piepen (“peep”), German Low German piepen (“to peep”), German piepen and pfeifen, all probably onomatopoeic.
Meanings
(in the negative) A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird. ▸ A feeble utterance or complaint.
I don't want to hear a peep out of you!
(collective) A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird. ▸ A brood of chicks (young chickens).
Two big canopy beds packed with kilims and cushions in the corner of the hut are lit warmly in the glow of the paraffin lanterns as a peep of chicks run inside, quite bravely I think, since their elder relative just got the chop. 2025, Roxana Shirazi, Dead Iranian Girl, Rare Bird Books:
The mean weight of a peep of chicks is 1.3 pounds, with a standard deviation of 0.4 pounds. Kevin wants to know the weight of the chick he is buying, but the seller only has the z-score of 1.25. How much does the chick weigh? 2019 June 23, melaniemessiha, Brainly, archived from the original on 30 Jul 2026:
A peep of chicks feed in their cage at Oesterlings Lawn & Garden Thursday, April 14, 2022. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 2022 April 15, “Photo Gallery: April 15, 2022”, in Butler Eagle, archived from the original on 30 Jul 2026:
The sound of a steam engine's whistle; typically shrill.
With a "peep" from a high-pitched whistle, the train would leave by the crossover to the down line, […]. 1954 March, W. A. Tuplin, “Recollections of the Wirral Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 168:
"Peep, peep," said Edward, "I'm ready."
"Peep, peep, peep," said Henry, "so am I." 2001, Rev. W. Awdry, Thomas the tank engine collection : a unique collection of stories from the railway series - p. 177 - Egmont Books, Limited, Aug 15, 2001:
(colloquial) A sandpiper or other small wader.
When I spotted two small warm-brown scaley-plumaged ‘peeps’ with yellow legs, my commentary immediately identified them as Least Sandpipers. 1983, Bill Oddie, Gone Birding, London: Methuen, page 91:
es pío (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · fr pépiement (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · nl gepiep (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · cs pípnutí (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · bg писукане (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · it cinguettio (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · it pigolio (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · de Pieps (feeble utterance or complaint) · ru писк (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · cs pípnutí (feeble utterance or complaint) · it brontolio (feeble utterance or complaint) · it squittio (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · nl piep (feeble utterance or complaint) · sv pip (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · de Pieps (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · fi pihaus (feeble utterance or complaint) · mg manarangarana (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · fi piipitys (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · it borbottio (feeble utterance or complaint) · fi hiiskaus (feeble utterance or complaint) · ga gíog (feeble utterance or complaint) · ca piulet (quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird) · it mugugno (feeble utterance or complaint)
cs pípnout (make a noise like a baby bird) · hu csipog (make a noise like a baby bird) · sv pipa (make a noise like a baby bird) · nl piepen (make a noise like a baby bird) · de piepen (make a noise like a baby bird) · cs pípnout (speak briefly with a quiet voice) · de piepsen (speak briefly with a quiet voice) · fi piipittää (make a noise like a baby bird) · nrf piper (make a noise like a baby bird) · es piar (make a noise like a baby bird) · it cinguettare (make a noise like a baby bird) · eo pepi (make a noise like a baby bird) · la pīpō (make a noise like a baby bird) · fi kuiskata (speak briefly with a quiet voice) · ru пи́скнуть (make a noise like a baby bird) · ru пища́ть (make a noise like a baby bird) · bg писукам (make a noise like a baby bird)
A quick look or glimpse, especially a furtive one.
He did manage a brief peep at the building’s Rotunda as he called on members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. 1990 October 5, “Souter plans to get right down to work”, in Fort Worth Star-Telegram, volume 85, number 154, section 1, page 14:
Another wheel toy was a baker's barrow on wheels, 14 inches high; it was filled with buns, loaves, and crumpets and came from Hamley's. This toy in 1959 was a peep into the past, for wheeled barrows such as this one, had not been in use for a number of years. 1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 84:
So saying she loosened some ivory screws of the guitar, so as to open a peep lengthwise through its interior. 1852, Herman Melville, Pierre; or The Ambiguities:
I was sick with dread, but I bravely said: "I'll just take a peep inside. / I guess he's cooked, and it's time I looked"; […] then the door I opened wide. 1907, Robert W. Service, “The Cremation of Sam McGee”, in The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses:
But at last Mr. Fox gave the order to stop. "I think," he said, "we had better take a peep upstairs now and see where we are. I know where I want to be, but I can't possibly be sure we're anywhere near it." 1970, Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, page 30:
The first partial appearance of something; a beginning to appear.
the peep of day
A peepshow.
A boring lusterless attempt at pornography, a niche above the racks of pulp pocketbooks sold in the front room of peeps. 1981 December 1, Freddie Greenfield, “Insulting Prison Porn”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 20, page 11:
(intransitive) To look forth from concealment, especially through a narrow opening, or while trying not to be seen or noticed.
And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw, peeping around the massive silver epergne that almost obscured him from her view, that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either. 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
The man peeped through the small hole.
(dated, intransitive) To begin to appear; to make the first appearance.
When flowers first peeped, and trees did blossoms bear. 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
They first caught crabs and quohogs in the sand; grown bolder, they waded out with nets for mackerel; more experienced, they pushed off in boats and captured cod; and at last, launching a navy of great ships on the sea, explored this watery world; put an incessant belt of circumnavigations round it; peeped in at Behring’s Straits; and in all seasons and all oceans declared everlasting war with the mightiest animated mass that has survived the flood; most monstrous and most mountainous! 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 14, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 70:
(slang, transitive) To take a look at; check out.
Did you peep that video I sent you?
Peep me, I'm fabulous, I work with the hardest working women at Kay Jeweler's, selling the finest jewels to the richest people. 2019 December, Justin Blackburn, The Bisexual Christian Suburban Failure Enlightening Bipolar Blues, page 96:
(qualifier:African-American Vernacular, slang, transitive) To see, uncover.
A lot of females were hesitant about getting with Pimp. He had a hard edge to him that made it impossible not to peep his cruel nature. 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 58: