peak

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: pēk, IPA(key): /piːk/ Rhymes: -iːk Homophones: peek, peke, pique === Etymology 1 === From earlier peake, peek, peke, from Middle English pek (in place names), itself an alteration of pike, pyke, pyk (“a sharp point, pike”), from Old English pīc, piic (“a pike, needle, pin, peak, pinnacle”), from Proto-West Germanic *pīk, from Proto-Germanic *pīkaz (“peak”). Cognate with Dutch piek (“pike, point, summit, peak”), Danish pik (“pike, peak”), Swedish pik (“pike, lance, point, peak”), Norwegian pik (“peak, summit”). More at pike. ==== Noun ==== peak (plural peaks) A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap. The highest value reached by some quantity in a time period. Synonyms: apex, pinnacle; see also Thesaurus:apex (geography) The top, or one of the tops, of a hill, mountain, or range, ending in a point. Synonyms: summit, top (geography) The whole hill or mountain, especially when isolated. (clothing, UK) visor (horizontal part of a cap sticking out in front and shading the wearer's eyes) (nautical) The upper aftermost corner of a fore-and-aft sail. (nautical) The narrow part of a vessel's bow, or the hold within it. (nautical) The extremity of an anchor fluke; the bill. (mathematics) A local maximum of a function, e.g. for sine waves, each point at which the value of y is at its maximum. (uncountable, Internet slang) Something of exceptional quality. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → German: Peak → Russian: пик (pik) (in час пик (čas pik)) ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== peak (third-person singular simple present peaks, present participle peaking, simple past and past participle peaked) (transitive, nautical) To raise the point of (a gaff) closer to perpendicular. (transitive, signal processing) To exceed the maximum signal amplitude of (a piece of equipment), resulting in clipping of the signal. (intransitive) To reach a highest degree or maximum. To rise or extend into a peak or point; to form, or appear as, a peak. (of a person) To reach the highest level of success or greatness in one's lifetime. (of a person on drugs) To reach the point of strongest effect from a drug. (gender-critical slang) Ellipsis of peak trans. For more quotations using this term, see Citations:peak. ===== Synonyms ===== culminate ===== Translations ===== ==== Adjective ==== peak (comparative more peak, superlative most peak) At the greatest extent; maximum. (slang) Maximal, quintessential, archetypical, strictly with positive connotations; representing the culmination of its type. (MLE, dated) Bad. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bad (MLE, dated) Unlucky; unfortunate. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:unlucky (Internet slang) Very good or high-quality. === Etymology 2 === Unknown. Perhaps related to Etymology 1 above in the sense of "becoming pointed" through emaciation. ==== Verb ==== peak (third-person singular simple present peaks, present participle peaking, simple past and past participle peaked) (intransitive) To become sick or wan. (intransitive) To acquire sharpness of figure or features; hence, to look thin or sickly. (intransitive) To pry; to peep slyly. ===== Derived terms ===== peaked peaky ==== References ==== === Etymology 3 === ==== Noun ==== peak (uncountable) Alternative form of peag (“wampum”). === Etymology 4 === ==== Verb ==== peak (third-person singular simple present peaks, present participle peaking, simple past and past participle peaked) Misspelling of pique. === Anagrams === kaep, Paek, pake, kape == Basque == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /peak/ [pe.ak] Rhymes: -eak, -ak Hyphenation: pe‧ak === Noun === peak inflection of pe: absolutive plural ergative singular