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Added 9 October 2026

peck

/pɛk/ verb

In Latin: modius Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about peck at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
The birds pecked at their food.
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.

noun

An act of striking with a beak.
A small kiss.

noun

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.
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.

verb

To throw.
To lurch forward; especially, of a horse, to stumble after hitting the ground with the toe instead of the flat of the foot.

Origin

From Middle English pecken, pekken, variant of Middle English piken, picken, pikken (“to pick, use a pointed implement”). More at pick.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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