Peck

The birds pecked at their food.

The rooster had been known to fly on her shoulder and peck her neck, so that now she carried a stick or took one of the children with her when she went to feed the fowls.

And the Wicked Witch said to the King Crow, "Fly at once to the strangers; peck out their eyes and tear them to pieces."

to peck a hole in a tree

This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons peas.

1713 September 14, letter to Joseph Addison, The Guardian, issue 160. I HAVE laid a wager, with a friend of mine, about the pigeons that used to peck up the corn which belonged to the ants.

He has been pecking away at that project for some time now.

At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

22,110 bushels of French beans, at 6d. per peck, or 2s. per bushel

I took his advice, and went to Billingsgate for the first time in my life, and bought a peck of oysters for 2s. 6d.

She figured most children probably ate a peck of dirt before they turned ten.

a peck of uncertainties and doubts

Anyhow, one of them fell, another one pecked badly, and Jerry disengaged himself from the group to scuttle up the short strip of meadow to win by a length.

an occurrence of peck in rice

Gemmen, have you ordered the peck and booze for the evening?