Adjacent Words

Peak definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PEAK, n. [Eng. pike, beak.]
1. The top of a hill or mountain, ending in a point; as the peak of Teneriffe.
2. A point; the end of any thing that terminates in a point.
3. The upper corner of a sail which is extended by a gaff or yard; also, the extremity of the yard or gaff.
PEAK, v.i. To look sickly or thin. [Not used.]
1. To make a mean figure; to sneak. [Not used.]
PEAK, v.t. To raise a gaff or yard more obliquely to the mast.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the most extreme possible amount or value; "voltage peak" [syn: extremum, peak]
2: the period of greatest prosperity or productivity [syn: flower, prime, peak, heyday, bloom, blossom, efflorescence, flush]
3: the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development; "his landscapes were deemed the acme of beauty"; "the artist's gifts are at their acme"; "at the height of her career"; "the peak of perfection"; "summer was at its peak"; "...catapulted Einstein to the pinnacle of fame"; "the summit of his ambition"; "so many highest superlatives achieved by man"; "at the top of his profession" [syn: acme, height, elevation, peak, pinnacle, summit, superlative, meridian, tiptop, top]
4: the top or extreme point of something (usually a mountain or hill); "the view from the peak was magnificent"; "they clambered to the tip of Monadnock"; "the region is a few molecules wide at the summit" [syn: peak, crown, crest, top, tip, summit]
5: a V shape; "the cannibal's teeth were filed to sharp points" [syn: point, tip, peak]
6: the highest point (of something); "at the peak of the pyramid" [syn: vertex, peak, apex, acme]
7: a brim that projects to the front to shade the eyes; "he pulled down the bill of his cap and trudged ahead" [syn: bill, peak, eyeshade, visor, vizor] v
1: to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity; "That wild, speculative spirit peaked in 1929";"Bids for the painting topped out at $50 million" [syn: top out, peak] [ant: bottom out]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: perhaps alteration of pike Date: 1530 1. a pointed or projecting part of a garment; especially the visor of a cap or hat 2. promontory 3. a sharp or pointed end 4. a. (1) the top of a hill or mountain ending in a point (2) a prominent mountain usually having a well-defined summit b. something resembling a mountain peak 5. a. the upper aftermost corner of a fore-and-aft sail b. the narrow part of a ship's bow or stern or the part of the hold in it 6. a. the highest level or greatest degree b. a high point in a course of development especially as represented on a graph 7. widow's peak Synonyms: see summit II. verb Date: 1577 intransitive verb to reach a maximum (as of capacity, value, or activity) — often used with out transitive verb to cause to come to a peak, point, or maximum III. adjective Date: 1903 being at or reaching the maximum <peak levels> <peak output>; also of, relating to, or being a period of maximum intensity or activity <peak business hours> IV. intransitive verb Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1605 1. to grow thin or sickly 2. to dwindle away V. transitive verb Etymology: from apeak held vertically Date: 1626 1. to set (as a gaff) nearer the perpendicular 2. to hold (oars) with blades well raised

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a projecting usu. pointed part, esp.: a the pointed top of a mountain. b a mountain with a peak. c a stiff brim at the front of a cap. d a pointed beard. e the narrow part of a ship's hold at the bow or stern (forepeak; after-peak). f Naut. the upper outer corner of a sail extended by a gaff. 2 a the highest point in a curve (on the peak of the wave). b the time of greatest success (in a career etc.). c the highest point on a graph etc. --v.intr. reach the highest value, quality, etc. (output peaked in September). Phrases and idioms: peak hour the time of the most intense traffic etc. peak-load the maximum of electric power demand etc. Derivatives: peaked adj. peaky adj. peakiness n. Etymology: prob. back-form. f. peaked var. of dial. picked pointed (PICK(2)) 2. v.intr. 1 waste away. 2 (as peaked adj.) sharp-featured; pinched. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Peag Peag, n. [Written also peage, peak, peeke.] [Prob. of North Amer. Indian origin.] A kind of aboriginal shell money, or wampum, of the Atlantic coast of the United States; -- originally applied only to polished white cylindrical beads.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Peak Peak, n. [OE. pek, AS. peac, perh of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. peac a sharp-pointed thing. Cf. Pike.] 1. A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap. ``Run your beard into a peak.'' --Beau. & Fl. 2. The top, or one of the tops, of a hill, mountain, or range, ending in a point; often, the whole hill or mountain, esp. when isolated; as, the Peak of Teneriffe. Silent upon a peak in Darien. --Keats. 3. (Naut.) (a) The upper aftermost corner of a fore-and-aft sail; -- used in many combinations; as, peak-halyards, peak-brails, etc. (b) The narrow part of a vessel's bow, or the hold within it. (c) The extremity of an anchor fluke; the bill. [In the last sense written also pea and pee.] Fore peak. (Naut.) See under Fore.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Peak Peak, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Peaked; p. pr. & vb. n. Peaking.] 1. To rise or extend into a peak or point; to form, or appear as, a peak. There peaketh up a mighty high mount. --Holand. 2. To acquire sharpness of figure or features; hence, to look thin or sicky. ``Dwindle, peak, and pine.'' --Shak. 3. [Cf. Peek.] To pry; to peep slyly. --Shak. Peak arch (Arch.), a pointed or Gothic arch.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Peak Peak, v. t. (Naut.) To raise to a position perpendicular, or more nearly so; as, to peak oars, to hold them upright; to peak a gaff or yard, to set it nearer the perpendicular.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(peaks, peaking, peaked) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. The peak of a process or an activity is the point at which it is at its strongest, most successful, or most fully developed. The party's membership has fallen from a peak of fifty-thousand after the Second World War... The bomb went off in a concrete dustbin at the peak of the morning rush hour. ...a flourishing career that was at its peak at the time of his death... N-COUNT: usu sing, usu with supp 2. When something peaks, it reaches its highest value or its highest level. Temperatures have peaked at over thirty degrees Celsius... His career peaked during the 1970's. VERB: V at n, V 3. The peak level or value of something is its highest level or value. Calls cost 36p (cheap rate) and 48p (peak rate) per minute... ADJ: ADJ n 4. Peak times are the times when there is most demand for something or most use of something. It's always crowded at peak times... ? off-peak ADJ: ADJ n see also peak time 5. A peak is a mountain or the top of a mountain. ...the snow-covered peaks. N-COUNT 6. The peak of a cap is the part at the front that sticks out above your eyes. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Point. 2. Top (of a mountain), summit, crest, crown, pinnacle, pico. II. v. n. Grow thin or lean, become emaciated, dwindle.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

Any kind of lace.

Moby Thesaurus

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