peek

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Related to peeking: peaking

peek

to look or glance quickly or furtively: peek at the presents

Not to be confused with:

peak – pinnacle; acme; zenith: a mountain peak

pique – offend; excite: Her curiosity was piqued.

peek

(pēk)

intr.v. peeked, peek·ing, peeks

1. To glance quickly.

2. To look or peer furtively, as from a place of concealment.

3. To be only partially visible, as if peering or emerging from hiding: Tiny crocuses peeked through the snow.

A brief or furtive look.

[Middle English piken, perhaps alteration of Middle Dutch kieken, variant of kīken.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

peek

(piːk)

(intr) to glance quickly or furtively; peep

a quick or furtive glance

[C14 pike, related to Middle Dutch kiken to peek]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

peek

(pik)

v.i.

1. to look or glance quickly or furtively, esp. through a small opening or from a concealed location.

2. a quick or furtive look or glance.

[1325–75; Middle English piken (v.); of uncertain origin]

peek

Past participle: peeked
Gerund: peeking

Imperative
peek
peek

Present
I peek
you peek
he/she/it peeks
we peek
you peek
they peek

Preterite
I peeked
you peeked
he/she/it peeked
we peeked
you peeked
they peeked

Present Continuous
I am peeking
you are peeking
he/she/it is peeking
we are peeking
you are peeking
they are peeking

Present Perfect
I have peeked
you have peeked
he/she/it has peeked
we have peeked
you have peeked
they have peeked

Past Continuous
I was peeking
you were peeking
he/she/it was peeking
we were peeking
you were peeking
they were peeking

Past Perfect
I had peeked
you had peeked
he/she/it had peeked
we had peeked
you had peeked
they had peeked

Future
I will peek
you will peek
he/she/it will peek
we will peek
you will peek
they will peek

Future Perfect
I will have peeked
you will have peeked
he/she/it will have peeked
we will have peeked
you will have peeked
they will have peeked

Future Continuous
I will be peeking
you will be peeking
he/she/it will be peeking
we will be peeking
you will be peeking
they will be peeking

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been peeking
you have been peeking
he/she/it has been peeking
we have been peeking
you have been peeking
they have been peeking

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been peeking
you will have been peeking
he/she/it will have been peeking
we will have been peeking
you will have been peeking
they will have been peeking

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been peeking
you had been peeking
he/she/it had been peeking
we had been peeking
you had been peeking
they had been peeking

Conditional
I would peek
you would peek
he/she/it would peek
we would peek
you would peek
they would peek

Past Conditional
I would have peeked
you would have peeked
he/she/it would have peeked
we would have peeked
you would have peeked
they would have peeked

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	peek - a secret look peep looking, looking at, look - the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually; "he went out to have a look"; "his look was fixed on her eyes"; "he gave it a good looking at"; "his camera does his looking for him"
Verb	1.	peek - throw a glance at; take a brief look at; "She only glanced at the paper"; "I only peeked--I didn't see anything interesting" glance, glint look - perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards; "She looked over the expanse of land"; "Look at your child!"; "Look--a deer in the backyard!"

peek

verb

1. glance, look, peer, spy, take a look, peep, eyeball (slang), sneak a look, keek (Scot.), snatch a glimpse, take or have a gander (informal) She peeked at him through a crack in the wall.

noun

1. glance, look, glimpse, blink, peep, butcher's (Brit. slang), gander (informal), look-see (slang), shufti (Brit. slang), keek (Scot.) I had a quick peek into the bedroom.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

peek

verb

To look briefly and quickly:

glance, glimpse, peep.

noun

A quick look:

blush, glance, glimpse, peep.

Informal: gander.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

peek

[piːk]

A. N → ojeada f, miradita f, mirada f furtiva
to take or have a peek at → echar una ojeada or miradita a; (furtively) → echar una mirada furtiva a, mirar a hurtadillas

B. VI (= glance) → echar una ojeada or miradita; (furtively) → mirar (a hurtadillas)
no peeking! → ¡sin mirar!
I opened the door a crack and peeked in/out → abrí la puerta un poquito y miré (a hurtadillas)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

peek

(piːk) verb

to look, especially quickly and in secret. He opened the door slightly and peeked out; Cover your eyes and don't peek.echar un vistazo; mirar a hurtadillas

noun

a quick look. Take a peek through the window.vistazo, ojeada

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

It is!" shrieked Signora Rosaura, peeking in from the side of the stage.

View in context

Laura Lean Jibbey, peanut brittle, a little almond cream on the neck muscles, dishes unwashed, half an hour's talk with the iceman, reading a package of old letters, a couple of pickles and two bottles of malt extract, one hour peeking through a hole in the window shade into the flat across the air-shaft--that's about all there is to it.

View in context

He used to curse God, yes, that boy, sitting there on a piece of rock like a wretched little Prometheus with a sparrow peeking at his miserable little liver.