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peak1

Syllabification: (peak)
Pronunciation: /pēk/

Translate peak | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of peak

noun

  • the pointed top of a mountain:the snowy peaks rose against the blue of a cloudless sky
  • a mountain, especially one with a pointed top:the rocky outcrops of peaks such as the Cassongrat offer a challenge to rock climbers
  • a projecting pointed part or shape:whisk 2 egg whites to stiff peaks
  • a point in a curve or on a graph, or a value of a physical quantity, higher than those around it:a slight increase in velocity provides a second peak on the general velocity curve
  • the point of highest activity, quality, or achievement:anyone who saw Jones at his peak looked upon genius
  • chiefly British a stiff brim at the front of a cap.
  • the narrow part of a ship’s hold at the bow or stern.
  • the upper, outer corner of a sail extended by a gaff.

verb

[no object]
  • reach a highest point, either of a specified value or at a specified time:its popularity peaked in the 1940s the rate of increase peaked at 34 percent last autumn

adjective

[attributive]
  • greatest; maximum:he did not expect to be anywhere near peak fitness until Christmas
  • characterized by maximum activity or demand:at peak hours, traffic speeds are reduced considerably

Derivatives

peakiness

Pronunciation: /-kēnis/

noun

Origin:

mid 16th century: probably a back-formation from peaked, variant of dialect picked 'pointed'

See peek (usage)

peak in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of peak in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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