Peck — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈpek/

Meaning & Definition of Peck

Peck (noun)

  1. a unit of capacity equal to ¼ bushel
  2. a large quantity or number
  3. an impression or hole made by pecking
  4. a quick sharp stroke
  5. a quick light kiss

Peck (verb)

  1. to strike or pierce especially repeatedly with the bill or a pointed tool
  2. to make by pecking
  3. to pick up with the bill

Peck (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a considerable amount

    "now you're in a peck of trouble"

    similar: abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, multiplicity, myriad, oodles, pack, passel, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, sheaf, shipload, sight, slew, spate, stack, store, ton, truckload, volume, wad, wealth, yard, all kinds (of), quite a bit
    related: epidemic, plague, rash, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, plethora, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, overflow, army, bevy, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mob, multitude, press, score, sea, swarm, throng, gazillion, jillion, kazillion, million, thousands, trillion, zillion
    opposite: ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, taste, touch, trace
    near: atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, smatter, smattering, dash, drop, morsel, shot, piece, portion, section, absence, dearth, famine, lack, paucity, poverty, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want, deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, meagerness, scantiness, scantness, skimpiness

Peck (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to eat reluctantly and in small bites

    "found out that fashion models never really eat—they just peck at small meals in expensive restaurants"

    similar: nibble, pick
    related: graze, nosh, snack, taste
    near: gorge, gormandize, overeat, pig out, swill

  2. to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object

    "the bird continued to peck the suet cake intently"

    similar: gore, harpoon, impale, jab, lance, pick, pierce, pink, puncture, run through, skewer, spear, spike, spit, stab, stick, transfix, transpierce
    related: spindle, perforate, riddle, bayonet, dirk, gimlet, pike, poniard, prong, quill, pinprick, poke, prick, punch, thrust, cut, knife, slice

Related Entry: Peck (at) (verb)

Peck (at) is a different word from Peck. The synonyms below are for peck (at), not for peck.

  1. to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders

    "kept pecking at their prodigal daughter to get off the couch and to start looking for a job"

    similar: dog, henpeck, hound, nag, needle, pick at
    related: carp (at), fuss (about or over), nitpick, annoy, badger, bait, bother, bug, chivy, harass, harry, hassle, irk, pester, plague, ride, vex, yap (at), egg, goad, incite, prod, prompt, spur, urge, exhort, insist, press, pressure, push, blandish, cajole, coax, wheedle, beg, importune, plead
    near: compliment, commend, laud, praise, recommend, tout, acclaim, applaud, build up, eulogize, extol

Related Entry: Pecking order (noun)

Pecking order is a different word from Peck. The synonyms below are for pecking order, not for peck.

  1. the way in which people or things in a group or organization are placed in a series of levels with different importance or status

    "As an assistant manager, he was pretty low in the company's pecking order."

    similar: food chain, graduation, hierarchy, ladder, ordering, ranking, scale, arrangement, array, disposal, disposition, distribution, sequence, series, setup, degree, echelon, footing, level, place, position, reaches, rung, situation, spot, standing, station, status

Related Entry: Pecking orders (noun)

Pecking orders is a different word from Peck. The synonyms below are for pecking orders, not for peck.

  1. the way in which people or things in a group or organization are placed in a series of levels with different importance or status

    "As an assistant manager, he was pretty low in the company's pecking order."

    similar: food chains, graduations, hierarchies, ladders, orderings, rankings, scales, arrangements, arrays, disposals, dispositions, distributions, sequences, series, setups, degrees, echelons, footings, levels, places, positions, reaches, rungs, situations, spots, standings, stations, statuses

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Peck

The most common words with a similar meaning to Peck:

Chiefly British: lashings
abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, multiplicity, myriad, oodles, pack, passel, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Peck

Words with the opposite meaning of Peck:

ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, taste

Related Words for Peck

epidemic, plague, rash, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, plethora, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, overflow, army, bevy, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host

Near Antonyms of Peck

atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, smatter, smattering, dash, drop, morsel, shot, piece, portion, section

Word Forms of Peck

Inflections: pecked, pecking, pecks

Origin & Etymology of Peck

Middle English pek, from Anglo-French

First known use: 13th century

Words & Phrases Containing Peck

peck at, hunt-and-peck, pecking order

Frequently Asked Questions about Peck

What does "Peck" mean?

"Peck" means a unit of capacity equal to ¼ bushel. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a unit of capacity equal to ¼ bushel. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Peck"?

Other words for "Peck" include abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle and bushel. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Peck" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Peck"?

There are 142 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Peck". Common alternatives include abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload and chunk.

What is the opposite of "Peck"?

Antonyms of "Peck" include ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful and hint. Near antonyms include atom, crumb, dot and fleck.

How do you use "Peck" in a sentence?

Examples of "Peck" in a sentence: "now you're in a peck of trouble"; "found out that fashion models never really eat—they just peck at small meals in expensive restaurants"; "the bird continued to peck the suet cake intently".

Is "Peck" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Peck" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Peck"?

"Peck" is pronounced /ˈpek/.

What is the origin of the word "Peck"?

"Peck" comes from Middle English pek, from Anglo-French. First known use: 13th century.