Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Peck"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Peck \Peck\, n.
A quick, sharp stroke, as with the beak of a bird or a
pointed instrument.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Peck \Peck\, n. [Perh. akin to pack; or, orig., an indefinite
quantity, and fr. peck, v. (below): cf. also F. picotin a
peak.]
1. The fourth part of a bushel; a dry measure of eight
quarts; as, a peck of wheat. ``A peck of provender.''
--Shak.
2. A great deal; a large or excessive quantity. ``A peck of
uncertainties and doubts.'' --Milton.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Peck \Peck\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pecked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Pecking}.] [See {Pick}, v.]
1. To strike with the beak; to thrust the beak into; as, a
bird pecks a tree.
2. Hence: To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with
a pointed instrument; especially, to strike, pick, etc.,
with repeated quick movements.
3. To seize and pick up with the beak, or as with the beak;
to bite; to eat; -- often with up. --Addison.
This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons peas. --Shak.
4. To make, by striking with the beak or a pointed
instrument; as, to peck a hole in a tree.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Peck \Peck\, v. i.
1. To make strokes with the beak, or with a pointed
instrument. --Carew.
2. To pick up food with the beak; hence, to eat.
[The hen] went pecking by his side. --Dryden.
{To peck at}, to attack with petty and repeated blows; to
carp at; to nag; to tease.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
peck
n 1: (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent:
"a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of
money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "it must
have cost plenty" [syn: {batch}, {deal}, {flock}, {good
deal}, {great deal}, {hatful}, {heap}, {lot}, {mass}, {mess},
{mickle}, {mint}, {muckle}, {pile}, {plenty}, {pot}, {quite
a little}, {raft}, {sight}, {slew}, {spate}, {stack}, {tidy
sum}, {wad}, {whole lot}, {whole slew}]
2: a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to
2 gallons
3: a United States dry measure equal to 8 quarts or 537.605
cubic inches
v 1: hit lightly with a picking motion [syn: {pick}, {beak}]
2: eat by pecking at; of birds [syn: {pick up}]
3: kiss lightly [syn: {smack}]
4: eat like a bird [syn: {pick at}, {peck at}]
5: bother persistently with trivial complaints; "She nags her
husband all day long" [syn: {nag}, {hen-peck}]
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