peck
/pek/ (bre, ipa) · /pek/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpek/ (ame, mw)
peck — verb
- peckpresent simple I / you / we / they
- peckshe / she / it
- peckedpast simple
- pecking-ing form
1. When a bird moves its beak forward in a fast, sharp motion to hit, bite, or pick
When a bird moves its beak forward in a fast, sharp motion to hit, bite, or pick up something small, such as seeds, insects, or other food items.
The hen pecked at the corn scattered on the ground.
peck at + noun (food item)
A woodpecker was pecking holes in the old oak tree trunk.
peck + noun (resultative — holes)
The pigeon landed on the windowsill and began to peck at the bread crumbs.
The baby chick pecked its way out of the eggshell.
The parrot gently pecked my finger when I held out a sunflower seed.
文法句型
peck + noun
peck at + noun
peck + noun + adverbial
2. To kiss someone quickly and lightly, usually on the cheek or lips, as a brief gr
To kiss someone quickly and lightly, usually on the cheek or lips, as a brief greeting or goodbye.
Grandma pecked me on the cheek when I arrived for dinner.
peck + someone + on the cheek
Before leaving for work, Tom pecked his wife on the lips.
Liam pecked his daughter on the forehead as he tucked her into bed.
Alice pecked her boyfriend on the cheek and ran off to catch the bus.
文法句型
peck + someone + on + the + body part
用法筆記
The object is always a person, and the preposition 'on' plus a body part follows the object. The kiss is too quick and light for romantic or passionate contexts.
常見錯誤
3. To type on a keyboard using only one or two fingers, usually because you are not
To type on a keyboard using only one or two fingers, usually because you are not skilled at typing.
My grandfather pecks at the keyboard with two fingers when he writes emails.
peck at the keyboard with [number] finger(s)
The receptionist pecked out the address slowly on the computer.
Instead of learning to touch-type, Jun still pecks at the keys with just one finger.
After breaking his right arm, Kwame had to peck his reports one-fingered on the tablet.
- type
Type is neutral and covers all methods; peck implies a slow, inexpert style.
- touch-type
Touch-type means using all fingers without looking at the keyboard.
文法句型
peck at + the + keyboard/keys
peck + adverb + preposition
用法筆記
This sense often appears in the fixed phrase 'hunt-and-peck' (used as an adjective: 'hunt-and-peck typing'). It is distinct from general typing because it describes an inefficient method.
常見錯誤
4. To eat only very small amounts of a meal, usually because you have little appeti
To eat only very small amounts of a meal, usually because you have little appetite or find the food unappealing.
Yuna felt sick, so she just pecked at her dinner and left most of it.
peck at + [food/meal] (no appetite)
The children were too excited about the trip to eat — they just pecked at their breakfast.
Diego pecked at his salad without enthusiasm, wishing he had ordered pasta instead.
When Ananya is nervous, she tends to peck at her food rather than eating a full meal.
- devour
Devour means to eat eagerly and in large amounts.
文法句型
peck at + noun (food)
用法筆記
Always used with 'at' before the food noun. This sense focuses on lack of appetite, not the eating action itself. Compare with sense 1 (literal bird pecking), where the subject must be a bird.
常見錯誤
5. To keep finding small faults with someone or something and complaining about the
To keep finding small faults with someone or something and complaining about them in a persistent, irritating way.
The manager kept pecking at his assistant over minor formatting issues.
peck at + someone + over/about [minor issues]
Instead of offering suggestions, Aunt Nora just pecked at every decision the committee made.
Zara's supervisor pecked at her report for two days about tiny spelling mistakes.
Stop pecking at the children — they did their best with the housework.
- praise
Praise means expressing approval and is the opposite of finding faults.
文法句型
peck at + someone
peck at + something
用法筆記
Always used with 'at'. The subject is a person (not a bird), and the criticism targets minor or trivial faults. This sense is metaphorical, extending the image of a bird repeatedly pecking at something.
常見錯誤
peck — noun
- pecksingular
- pecksplural
1. The action of a bird moving its beak forward quickly to hit, bite, or pick up so
The action of a bird moving its beak forward quickly to hit, bite, or pick up something small.
The hen gave the corn a quick peck and swallowed it.
give + noun + a peck
With a single peck, the parrot cracked open the sunflower seed.
The woodpecker's peck echoed through the quiet forest.
I noticed a small peck mark on the apple where the bird had tried it.
2. A quick, light kiss, usually given on the cheek or lips as a brief greeting or f
A quick, light kiss, usually given on the cheek or lips as a brief greeting or farewell.
Amara gave her father a peck on the cheek before leaving for school.
give + [someone] + a peck on the [body part]
A quick peck on the forehead was how Oliver said goodnight to the children.
Santi greeted his grandmother with a peck on each cheek.
At the airport gate, the couple exchanged a quick peck before she boarded the plane.
用法筆記
Unlike 'kiss', which can be prolonged or romantic, a 'peck' is always brief and light. Common in the phrase 'a peck on the cheek' as a neutral, affectionate gesture.
3. An old unit used for measuring dry goods such as grain, flour, or fruit, equal t
An old unit used for measuring dry goods such as grain, flour, or fruit, equal to about nine litres in Britain and about 8.8 litres in the United States.
The farmer sold two pecks of apples at the village market.
[number] + peck(s) of + [dry good]
In old English cookbooks, you sometimes see a peck of flour called for in bread recipes.
The autumn harvest yielded thirty pecks of oats from the north field.
A bushel is equal to four pecks in both the British and American systems.
用法筆記
This sense is historical and rarely used in modern contexts outside of farming records, old recipes, or historical documents. The modern equivalent is litres or bushels.
4. A large quantity or number of something, often used in the phrase 'a peck of' to
A large quantity or number of something, often used in the phrase 'a peck of' to mean many or much.
He has gotten himself into a peck of trouble with all those lies.
a peck of [trouble/problems] (figurative)
We have had a peck of problems with the new computer system since January.
The old lady said she had a peck of memories stored in that dusty trunk.
After the storm passed, there was a peck of work to do clearing the fallen branches.
- a little
'A little' indicates a small amount.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'a peck of' followed by an uncountable noun. This is informal and slightly old-fashioned; 'a lot of' or 'loads of' are more common in everyday speech.