Peep

//piːp// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
  2. 2
    A quick look or glimpse, especially a furtive one.

    "So saying she loosened some ivory screws of the guitar, so as to open a peep lengthwise through its interior."

  3. 3
    A spot on a die or domino. obsolete
  4. 4
    A person. British, slang
  5. 5
    Alternative letter-case form of Peep alt-of
Show 10 more definitions
  1. 6
    A soft marshmallow confection, shaped into a baby animal for Easter celebration. US
  2. 7
    A World War II jeep attached to an armored regiment. slang
  3. 8
    a secret look wordnet
  4. 9
    A feeble utterance or complaint.

    "I don't want to hear a peep out of you!"

  5. 10
    The first partial appearance of something; a beginning to appear.

    "the peep of day"

  6. 11
    Acronym of positive end-expiratory pressure. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
  7. 12
    the short weak cry of a young bird wordnet
  8. 13
    The sound of a steam engine's whistle; typically shrill.

    "With a "peep" from a high-pitched whistle, the train would leave by the crossover to the down line, […]."

  9. 14
    A peepshow.

    "A boring lusterless attempt at pornography, a niche above the racks of pulp pocketbooks sold in the front room of peeps."

  10. 15
    A sandpiper or other small wader. colloquial
Verb
  1. 1
    To make a soft, shrill noise like a baby bird.
  2. 2
    To look, especially through a narrow opening, or while trying not to be seen or noticed. intransitive

    "The man peeped through the small hole."

  3. 3
    appear as though from hiding wordnet
  4. 4
    To speak briefly with a quiet voice.
  5. 5
    To begin to appear; to look forth from concealment; to make the first appearance. dated, intransitive

    "When flowers first peeped, and trees did blossoms bear."

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice wordnet
  2. 7
    To take a look at; check out. slang, transitive

    "Did you peep that video I sent you?"

  3. 8
    make high-pitched sounds wordnet
  4. 9
    To see, uncover. slang, transitive

    "A lot of females were hesitant about getting with Pimp. He had a hard edge to him that made it impossible not to peep his cruel nature."

  5. 10
    cause to come into view wordnet
  6. 11
    look furtively wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English pepen. Compare Dutch piepen (“peep”), German Low German piepen (“to peep”), German piepen and pfeifen, all probably onomatopoeic.

Etymology 2

From Middle English pepen. Compare Dutch piepen (“peep”), German Low German piepen (“to peep”), German piepen and pfeifen, all probably onomatopoeic.

Etymology 3

From Middle English pepen, variant of piken.

Etymology 4

From Middle English pepen, variant of piken.

Etymology 5

Uncertain; perhaps variant of pip.

Etymology 6

Back-formation from peeps, a shortened form of people.

Etymology 7

Genericized trademark from the confection brand Peeps.

Etymology 8

Genericized trademark from the confection brand Peeps, owned by Just Born, Inc.

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