peep

See also: peeps, Peep, and PEEP

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: pēp, IPA(key): /piːp/
  • (US) IPA(key): /pip/, [pʰip]
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːp

Etymology 1

From Middle English pepen. Compare Dutch piepen (“peep”), German Low German piepen (“to peep”), German piepen and pfeifen, all probably onomatopoeic.

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

  1. A quiet sound, particularly one from a baby bird.
  2. A feeble utterance or complaint.
    I don't want to hear a peep out of you!
  3. The sound of a steam engine's whistle; typically shrill.
    2001, Rev. W. Awdry, Thomas the tank engine collection : a unique collection of stories from the railway series - p. 177 - Egmont Books, Limited, Aug 15, 2001
    "Peep, peep," said Edward, "I'm ready."
    "Peep, peep, peep," said Henry, "so am I."
  4. A kind of bird; a sandpiper.
Translations

Verb

peep (third-person singular simple present peeps, present participle peeping, simple past and past participle peeped)

  1. To make a soft, shrill noise like a baby bird.
  2. To speak briefly with a quiet voice.
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English pepen, variant of piken

Verb

peep (third-person singular simple present peeps, present participle peeping, simple past and past participle peeped)

  1. To look, especially while trying not to be seen or noticed.
    The man peeped through the small hole.
    • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 24962326:
      And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed.
    • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
      But Richmond […] appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw, peeping around the massive silver epergne that almost obscured him from her view, that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either.
  2. To begin to appear; to look forth from concealment; to make the first appearance.
    • John Dryden (1631-1700)
      When flowers first peeped, and trees did blossoms bear.
Hypernyms
Translations

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

  1. A quick look or glimpse, especially a furtive one.
Translations

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Of uncertain origin; perhaps variant of pip

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

  1. (obsolete) A spot on a die or domino.
Synonyms
  • (spot on die or domino): pip

Etymology 4

Back-formation from peeps, a shortened form of people.

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

  1. (Britain, slang) person.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.