to look furtively or secretly, as through a small aperture or from a hidden place to appear partially or briefly: the sun peeped through the clouds
a quick or furtive look the first appearance: the peep of dawn
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
peep1 /pip/USA pronunciation
v. [no object]
n. [countable]
peep2 /pip/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- to look through a small opening or from a hidden or secret location:peeping through the curtains.
- to come partly into view;
begin to appear:The winter sun peeped briefly over the mountaintop.
n. [countable]
- a quick or secret look.
- the first appearance, as of dawn.
peep2 /pip/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
- Birdsa short, high-pitched, shrill little cry or sound, as of a young bird.
- a slight sound or remark, as of complaint:I don't want to hear a peep out of you!
v. [no object]
- Birdsto make a short, high-pitched, shrill little cry.
peep1
(pēp),USA pronunciation v.i.
v.t.
n.
peep2 (pēp),USA pronunciation n.
v.i.
peep3 (pēp),USA pronunciation n.
- to look through a small opening or from a concealed location.
- to look slyly, pryingly, or furtively.
- to look curiously or playfully.
- to come partially into view;
begin to appear:the first crocuses peeping through the snow-covered ground.
v.t.
- to show or protrude slightly.
n.
- a quick or furtive look or glance.
- the first appearance, as of dawn.
- an aperture for looking through.
- 1425–75; late Middle English pepe; assimilated variant of peek
- 1, 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged Peep, peek, peer mean to look through, over, or around something. To peep or peek is usually to give a quick look through a narrow aperture or small opening, often furtively, slyly, or pryingly, or to look over or around something curiously or playfully:to peep over a wall; to peek into a room.Peek is often associated with children's games. To peer is to look continuously and narrowly for some time, esp. in order to penetrate obscurity or to overcome some obstacle in the way of vision:The firefighter peered through the smoke.
peep2 (pēp),USA pronunciation n.
- Birdsa short, shrill little cry or sound, as of a young bird;
cheep;
squeak. - Birdsany of various small sandpipers.
- a slight sound or remark, esp. in complaint:I don't want to hear a peep out of any of you!
v.i.
- Birdsto utter the short, shrill little cry of a young bird, a mouse, etc.;
cheep;
squeak. - to speak in a thin, weak voice.
- 1400–50; late Middle English pepen, pipen; compare Dutch, German piepen, Old French piper, Latin pipāre, Greek pippízein, Czech pípat, Lithuanian pỹpti, all ultimately of imitative origin, originally
peep3 (pēp),USA pronunciation n.
- jeep.
- apparently alteration of jeep 1940–45, American.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
(esp of young birds) to utter shrill small noises to speak in a thin shrill voice
a peeping sound
'peep out' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):