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Peek Common

Peek has 7 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a secret look

"She quickly peeked through the curtains to see if anyone was watching."

2

A quick glance or look.

"The engineer selected PEK as a high-performance thermoplastic for manufacturing the aircraft's heat-resistant components."

3

Misspelling of pique.

4

Acronym of polyetheretherketone.

In plain English: A peek is just taking a quick, secret look at something without being seen doing it.

"The child's curious peek showed that she was watching us from behind the door."

Verb
1

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

"She only glanced at the paper"

"I only peeked--I didn't see anything interesting"

2

To look slyly, or with the eyes half closed, or through a crevice; to peep.

"She peeked out from behind the curtain to see who was knocking at the door."

In plain English: To peek means to look at something quickly and secretly without being seen.

"She quickly peeked under her blanket to check if anyone was coming in."

Usage: Use "peek" primarily in informal contexts rather than formal writing, where "peep" may be preferred for its slightly more literary tone. Avoid using it as a noun (e.g., "a peek") if you intend to sound strictly traditional, though this usage is now widely accepted in casual speech.

Proper Noun
1

A surname​.

"Mr. Peek waved from his garden as he walked down the street."

Example Sentences
"The child's curious peek showed that she was watching us from behind the door." noun
"She quickly peeked under her blanket to check if anyone was coming in." verb
"The child peeked through the curtains to see if Santa had arrived." verb
"She decided to peek at her phone before answering the door." verb
"Don't peek while I am trying to focus on my work." verb
See Also
keek glimpse memory peeks peeksy peekable peep peeked
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
look

Origin

The word "peek" likely originated as a fusion of two Old English words meaning to peep and to spy. It may have also developed through a rearrangement of sounds from an earlier form that meant to keep or watch closely.

Rhyming Words
eek beek zeek week teek seek reek neek meek leek keek deek geek greek freek cheek tweek wheek creek steek
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