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Glite Dictionary
to peck at

to peck at

1 4.7
To eat only a little food and not show interest
  • phrasal verb
  • /pɛk æt/
translation icon : picotear
  • The children pecked at their sandwiches during the picnic, too excited to eat.
  • peck at food

Examples

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

    Fiction book (1999)

  • A lone chicken wandered across the yard, stopping every few seconds to peck at the bare ground.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • 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)

  • He just pecked at his dinner, not really hungry after a long day.

  • During lunch, I noticed she would only peck at her salad instead of finishing it.

Synonyms

to pick
vsto peck at
116 3.6

To eat small amounts and not finish a meal

is done with especially low appetite or little interest in eating
to nibble
vsto peck at
56 2.0

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

is the same action but usually done with little appetite or interest
to snack
vsto peck at
27 1.0

To eat a small amount of food between meals

is often done when appetite is low and eating lacks enthusiasm
to pick up
vsto peck at
24 4.0

To eat small bits of food by pecking like a bird

is similar but highlights low appetite and little interest in food
to have a bite
vsto peck at
17 1.8

Eat a small amount of food as a quick snack

is similar but usually done without appetite or enthusiasm
to snack on
vsto peck at
10 2.5

To eat small amounts of food between meals

is broader, often done when there is little appetite or interest
to peck
vsto peck at
9 3.4

To eat small, quick bites like a bird

is similar but emphasizes lack of appetite or enthusiasm when eating
to pick at
vsto peck at
5 4.6

Eat very small amounts of food when not feeling hungry

is similar but more often done without appetite or enthusiasm
to graze
vsto peck at
5 3.8

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

is shorter in time and done with little appetite or interest
to nosh
vsto peck at
  • Informal
4 8.2

To eat a small snack between meals

is done more from low appetite or lack of interest rather than hunger
to piece
vsto peck at
3 9.9

To eat small amounts at different times

focuses more on low appetite and lack of enthusiasm while eating
to eat like a bird
vsto peck at
  • Informal
1 6.0

To eat only a very small amount of food

is similar but emphasizes doing so without enthusiasm or interest
to browse
vsto peck at
1 3.9

To eat small amounts of different foods instead of a full meal

is narrower, often implying low appetite rather than casual sampling

Antonyms

to devour
13 2.9

To eat food quickly because you are very hungry

to gorge
12 5.9

To eat a very large amount of food greedily

How Much

to devour
13 2.9
to eat
∞ 1.0
to peck at
1 4.7
to nibble
56 2.0
to pick at
5 4.6

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

peck + at

The verb 'peck' already encodes taking small, hesitant bites and the preposition 'at' marks the object/target, so the combined meaning 'to eat small amounts or pick at food' is directly derivable. This is a literal, compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand the MWE.

Etymology

The verb peck at comes from the picture of a bird using its beak to take many small, quick bites—birds peck at seeds. That's why it now means 'to eat small amounts of food' or to eat without much appetite.