peck at
phrasal verb
pecked at; pecking at; pecks at
: to take small bites of (food)
Her son pecked at his food and said he wasn't hungry.
Examples of peck at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Luna feels calmer under the warmth of the sun, and while the chickens peck at the damp ground, Aleida takes advantage of the moment.
—
Unicef Usa, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
This fall, a 16-foot-tall pigeon — its chest puffed out proudly, head high, not down pecking at some errant pizza crust, its pitiless red-eye gaze looking out over the traffic — will alight on the spur of the High Line that bridges Tenth Avenue at 30th Street.
—Carl Swanson, Curbed, 31 July 2024
The elm was torn, up high, and from the tear
ran sap the warbler pecked at, for the sweet
itself or for the insects smudged in it.
—Caleb Crain, The New York Review of Books, 26 Sep. 2024
In Akron, Luca the juvenile Andean condor has spent time pecking at ice between sessions of ripping apart paper, an exercise meant to mimic the bird’s natural behavior of ripping apart carcasses.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
In addition to having native plants in your surrounding gardens, which will attract all the beneficial pollinators and birds who love to peck at caterpillars, try tucking in a few other edibles to protect plants and doubling your harvest diversity.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 21 May 2024
Beyond the shimmering pool, horses (part of the property's animal sanctuary) indulged in fresh corn treats, chickens pecked at the ground, and doves fluttered by.
—Josephine Wong, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Apr. 2024
Thompson watches through binoculars until his bird begins to peck at the screen covering its nest hole.
—Jen Guyton, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Later, Nepali and I stood together in front of the aviary, watching about fifty wild vultures peck at the skeletal remains of the carcass.
—Meera Subramanian, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Unicef Usa, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
This fall, a 16-foot-tall pigeon — its chest puffed out proudly, head high, not down pecking at some errant pizza crust, its pitiless red-eye gaze looking out over the traffic — will alight on the spur of the High Line that bridges Tenth Avenue at 30th Street.
—Carl Swanson, Curbed, 31 July 2024
The elm was torn, up high, and from the tear
ran sap the warbler pecked at, for the sweet
itself or for the insects smudged in it.
—Caleb Crain, The New York Review of Books, 26 Sep. 2024
In Akron, Luca the juvenile Andean condor has spent time pecking at ice between sessions of ripping apart paper, an exercise meant to mimic the bird’s natural behavior of ripping apart carcasses.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
In addition to having native plants in your surrounding gardens, which will attract all the beneficial pollinators and birds who love to peck at caterpillars, try tucking in a few other edibles to protect plants and doubling your harvest diversity.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 21 May 2024
Beyond the shimmering pool, horses (part of the property's animal sanctuary) indulged in fresh corn treats, chickens pecked at the ground, and doves fluttered by.
—Josephine Wong, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Apr. 2024
Thompson watches through binoculars until his bird begins to peck at the screen covering its nest hole.
—Jen Guyton, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Later, Nepali and I stood together in front of the aviary, watching about fifty wild vultures peck at the skeletal remains of the carcass.
—Meera Subramanian, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near peck at
Cite this Entry
“Peck at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peck%20at. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share