peak

peak
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

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • 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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Peak — 〈[pi:k] m. 6〉 1. 〈Phys.〉 Spitzenwert eines Signals o. Ä. 2. 〈allg.〉 Spitze, Spitzenwert, Höhepunkt 3. Bergspitze, gipfel (bes. in engl. Namen); →a. Pik1 [engl., „Spitze, Gipfel“] * * * Peak [ pi:k; engl. Gipfel, Spitze, Scheitelpunkt], der; s, s …   Universal-Lexikon

  • 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. [1913 Webster] There peaketh up a mighty high mount. Holand. [1913 Webster] 2. To acquire sharpness of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • peak — peak1 [pēk] vi. [< ?] to become sickly; waste away; droop peak2 [pēk] n. [var. of PIKE5] 1. a tapering part that projects; pointed end or top, as of a cap, roof, etc. 2. part of the hairline coming to a point on the forehead; widow s peak …   English World 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. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Peak — (High Peak, spr. hai pīk, P. von Derby), ein breites Plateau mit steilen Wänden und tief eingeschnittenen Tälern im nördlichen Derbyshire (England), das zur Penninischen Kette gehört und vom Derwent, Dove und Wye bewässert wird. Es erreicht im… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Peak — Peak, SC U.S. town in South Carolina Population (2000): 61 Housing Units (2000): 36 Land area (2000): 0.268859 sq. miles (0.696341 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000671 sq. miles (0.001738 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.269530 sq. miles (0.698079 sq …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Peak, SC — U.S. town in South Carolina Population (2000): 61 Housing Units (2000): 36 Land area (2000): 0.268859 sq. miles (0.696341 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000671 sq. miles (0.001738 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.269530 sq. miles (0.698079 sq. km) FIPS …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • peak — pointed top, 1520s, variant of PIKE (Cf. pike) (2) sharp point. Meaning top of a mountain first recorded 1630s, though pike was used in this sense c.1400. Figurative sense is 1784. Meaning point formed by hair on the forehead is from 1833. The… …   Etymology dictionary

  • peak — [n1] top of something aiguille, alp, apex, brow, bump, cope, crest, crown, hill, mount, mountain, pinnacle, point, roof, spike, summit, tip, vertex; concepts 509,836 Ant. base, bottom, nadir peak [n2] maximum, zenith acme, apex, apogee, capstone …   New thesaurus

  • peak|y — «PEE kee», adjective, peak|i|er, peak|i|est. 1. peaked or pointed; peaklike. 2. abounding in peaks …   Useful english dictionary

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