What does peck mean?
To peck is to strike or tap repeatedly with a beak or another pointed part. Birds may peck at seeds, soil, wood, or one another, and people also use the verb for picking at food in small bites. In an informal, affectionate context, peck can mean to give someone a quick kiss, as in “she pecked him on the cheek.” The related noun has several established meanings: a peck is a small quantity of something, a quick kiss, or a traditional dry measure equal to eight quarts. The word is vivid because it focuses on the particular action of a pointed beak or a brief, playful kiss. In modern usage, its animal sense is dominant, while the measure is chiefly historical or specialized and the kiss sense is familiar and informal.
To strike or tap repeatedly with the beak or another pointed part; to pick at food in small bites; or, informally, to give someone a quick kiss.
"The bird pecked at the seed bag while the cat stalked it."
The kissing sense is informal and commonly refers to a quick kiss on the cheek.
A small quantity of something; a quick kiss; or a traditional dry measure equal to eight quarts.
"He gave her a peck on the cheek and smiled."
The dry-measure sense is mainly historical or specialized, while “a peck of” can informally mean a large number or amount of something.
The plural is used for separate instances or quantities, especially in the noun sense “a small quantity.”
"The farmer measured out several pecks of grain."
A peck can mean a bird's repeated beak strike—or, in a quick, affectionate gesture, a kiss on the cheek.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does peck come from?
The verb derives from Old English pic, meaning to strike or peck with the beak, and its modern spelling and usage developed through Middle English. The noun has additional established senses connected with a small quantity and with a brief kiss, while the traditional dry measure belongs to an older vocabulary of weights and measures. The word's core meaning is therefore strongly associated with the repeated tapping of a pointed beak.
Related word forms
How peck is actually used
The word is standard in descriptions of birds and other animals with beaks. The kiss sense is informal and usually occurs in phrases such as “a peck on the cheek.”
Easily confused with peck
To peck is to strike or tap with the beak or another pointed part, whereas to peek is to look at something, usually briefly or secretly.