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Glite Dictionary
💋 A light kiss 💋 To kiss quickly 🪶 To poke repeatedly 🪶 A sharp bite 🐦 To eat little 🧺 A dry measure 🙄 To nag 📦 A large amount
to peck

to peck

9 3.4
To eat small, quick bites like a bird
  • verb
  • /pɛk/
translation icon : picotear
  • The chickens peck at the scattered grains on the ground each morning.
  • peck at food
  • birds peck
  • chickens peck

But most people, the majority just want to cluck around at the dirt and Peck and look for bugs and worms.

Examples

  • The birds were hers, the sparrows pecking at sunflower seeds.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • A few tubercular-looking chickens pecked half-heartedly around the small vegetable garden.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Just pecked at his food.

    Pecker (1998)

  • I do believe this is the first time I've ever seen you peck at your food.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Grab you some milk and let the hens peck it off.

    Death Alley (2021)

  • Most of the next day, Beverly pecked at letters on her computer keyboard, forming words that ran into sentences.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The goldfinches in the yard pecked tiny gold seeds from clumps of thistledown.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Four brooding hens and a rooster pecked around under the young mulberry tree.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • As the bird landed on the tree branch, it began to peck at the bark for insects.

  • He watched the ducks peck at the bread crumbs tossed by the children in the park.

Synonyms

to pick
vsto peck
116 3.6

To eat small amounts and not finish a meal

describes faster, bird-like quick bites rather than just small portions
to nibble
vsto peck
56 2.0

To eat small, gentle bites slowly or a little at a time

is quicker and more bird-like rather than gentle or delicate biting
to take a bite
vsto peck
49 1.4

To eat a small piece of food or reduce something a little

refers to repeated quick small bites rather than a single taste
to pick up
vsto peck
24 4.0

To eat small bits of food by pecking like a bird

means the same quick bird-like biting action as the main term
to have a bite
vsto peck
17 1.8

Eat a small amount of food as a quick snack

describes quick tiny bites repeatedly rather than a simple small meal
to snack on
vsto peck
10 2.5

To eat small amounts of food between meals

is about quick tiny bites resembling a bird, not meal timing
to pick at
vsto peck
5 4.6

Eat very small amounts of food when not feeling hungry

is more about quick tiny bites resembling a bird than low appetite
to graze
vsto peck
5 3.8

Eat small amounts of food during the day instead of a full meal

focuses on quick bird-like bites rather than continuous daytime eating
to piece
vsto peck
3 9.9

To eat small amounts at different times

is specifically about quick, repeated bird-like pecking rather than occasional bites
to peck at
vsto peck
1 4.7

To eat only a little food and not show interest

focuses on quick, bird-like small bites rather than lack of interest
to eat like a bird
vsto peck
  • Informal
1 6.0

To eat only a very small amount of food

is about quick repeated small bites rather than low total food intake
to nom
vsto peck
  • Slang
9.9

To eat something quickly and enjoy it

describes rapid bird-like small bites without the strong enjoyment tone

Antonyms

to devour
53 3.9

To destroy or use up things quickly, for example when fire burns a building

to gorge
12 5.9

To eat a very large amount of food greedily

Phrasal Verbs

to peck at
1 4.7

To eat only a little food and not show interest

to hen-peck
  • Slur
8.5

To keep criticizing a partner about small things

How Much

to devour
13 2.9
to eat
∞ 1.0
to peck
9 3.4
to nibble
56 2.0
to pick at
5 4.6

Surface Forms

peck infinitive
pecked past
pecked past participle
pecking present participle
pecks third person singular

Etymology

Peck The verb meaning 'to eat food by taking small, quick bites' comes from watching birds take tiny bites with their beaks, and it is like the common word pick in the phrase 'pick at' your food, so to peck is to eat in small, light bites.