peek
peek Lexical Profile
peek Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A quick and typically furtive look.
"She took a quick peek inside the oven to see if the cake was rising."
• verb
To look quickly and typically in a secretive or furtive manner.
"The children promised not to peek while their parents hid the gifts."
To protrude slightly so as to be just visible.
"Early spring crocuses were beginning to peek through the melting snow."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused with the homophones 'peak' (the pointed top of a mountain or highest level) and 'pique' (to stimulate interest or feel irritation); remember that 'peek' with a double 'e' relates to seeing with your eyes.
• Rhymes for peek
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in Middle English as 'piken' in the late 14th century, of uncertain origin but likely related to Middle Dutch or Low German 'kiken' (meaning to peep or peer).