peep
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to look at something quickly or secretly, often through a small opening.
v.to look cautiously or furtively, as through a narrow aperture or from a place of concealment.
Simple“The children tried to peep through the hole in the wooden fence.”
In context“He couldn't resist the urge to peep through the heavy velvet curtains to see if the audience had begun to arrive.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to look at or notice something interesting.
v.to observe, examine, or take notice of something; often used as an imperative to draw attention.
Simple“You should peep that new video I sent you earlier.”
In context“Peep the way the light hits the architecture at this time of day; it is exactly what the photographer was talking about.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a short, high-pitched sound like a baby bird.
v.to utter a short, shrill, or faint sound characteristic of a fledgling bird or a small creature.
Simple“The tiny chicks began to peep as soon as they saw their mother.”
In context“The silence of the morning was broken only by the occasional peep of a bird nesting in the eaves.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a very quiet sound or a small complaint.
n.a slight sound, utterance, or complaint; frequently used in the negative to indicate total silence or lack of protest.
Simple“I don't want to hear another peep out of you until you finish your dinner.”
In context“The proposal was passed without a peep from the opposition, much to the surprise of the local journalists.”
From Middle English pepen. Compare Dutch piepen (“peep”), German Low German piepen (“to peep”), German piepen and pfeifen, all probably onomatopoeic.
From Middle English pepen, variant of piken.
Uncertain; perhaps variant of pip.
Back-formation from peeps, a shortened form of people.
Genericized trademark from the confection brand Peeps.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.