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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026peak1 /pik/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
- the pointed top of a mountain or ridge.
- a mountain with a pointed top.
- the pointed top of anything.
- the most important level;
the maximum point or volume of anything:at the peak of her career.
- the front piece of a cap that sticks out over the eyes.
v. [no object]
- to stick out or forward in a peak.
- to reach a peak of activity, development, etc.:His popularity peaked after the convention.
adj. [before a noun]
- attaining the highest level, point, etc.:peak performance.
- of or being the time when traffic, use, or demand is greatest and charges, etc., are highest:during the peak travel season.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026peak1
(pēk),USA pronunciation n.
- the pointed top of a mountain or ridge.
- a mountain with a pointed summit.
- the pointed top of anything.
- the highest or most important point or level:the peak of her political career.
- the maximum point, degree, or volume of anything:Oil prices reached their peak last year.
- a time of the day or year when traffic, use, demand, etc., is greatest and charges, fares, or the like are at the maximum:Early evening is the peak on commuter railroads.
- the higher fare, charges, etc., during such a period:If you fly during the Christmas holidays, you'll have to pay peak.
- Physics
- the maximum value of a quantity during a specified time interval:a voltage peak.
- the maximum power consumed or produced by a unit or group of units in a stated period of time.
- a projecting point:the peak of a man's beard.
- See widow's peak.
- a projecting front piece, or visor, of a cap.
- Phoneticsnucleus (def. 8a).
- [Naut.]
- Naval Termsthe contracted part of a ship's hull at the bow or the stern.
- Naval Termsthe upper after corner of a sail that is extended by a gaff. See diag. under sail.
- Naval Termsthe outer extremity of a gaff.
v.i.
- to project in a peak.
- to attain a peak of activity, development, popularity, etc.:The artist peaked in the 1950s.
v.t.
- Nautical, Naval Termsto raise the after end of (a yard, gaff, etc.) to or toward an angle above the horizontal.
adj.
- being at the point of maximum frequency, intensity, use, etc.;
busiest or most active:Hotel rooms are most expensive during the peak travel seasons.
- constituting the highest or maximum level, volume, etc.;
optimal;
prime:a machine running at peak performance.
- Middle Low German pēk pick, pike
- perh. 1520–30
2. 4. pinnacle. 4. acme, zenith.
peak2
(pēk),USA pronunciation v.i.
- Pathologyto become weak, thin, and sickly.
- origin, originally uncertain 1500–10
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
peak /piːk/ n - a pointed end, edge, or projection: the peak of a roof
- the pointed summit of a mountain
- a mountain with a pointed summit
- the point of greatest development, strength, etc: the peak of my career
- a sharp increase in a physical quantity followed by a sharp decrease: a voltage peak
- the maximum value of this quantity
- (as modifier): peak voltage
- Also called: visor a projecting piece on the front of some caps
- See widow's peak
- the extreme forward (forepeak) or aft (afterpeak) part of the hull
- (of a fore-and-aft quadrilateral sail) the after uppermost corner
- the after end of a gaff
vb - (transitive) to set (a gaff) or tilt (oars) vertically
- to form or reach or cause to form or reach a peak or maximum
adj - of or relating to a period of highest use or demand, as for watching television, commuting, etc: peak viewing hours, peak time
Etymology: 16th Century: perhaps from pike2, influenced by beak1; compare Spanish pico, French pic, Middle Low German pēkˈpeaky, ˈpeakish adj
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