peep

Noun

1. A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
2. A feeble utterance or complaint.
3. The sound of a steam engine's whistle; typically shrill.
4. (colloquial) A sandpiper or other small wader.

Verb

1. To make a soft, shrill noise like a baby bird.
2. To speak briefly with a quiet voice.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To look, especially through a narrow opening, or while trying not to be seen or noticed.
2. (dated, intransitive) To begin to appear; to look forth from concealment; to make the first appearance.
3. (slang, transitive) To take a look at; check out.
4. (slang, transitive) To see, uncover.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/piːp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: pepen

Cognate with Dutch: piepen

Cognate with German: piepen

In summary

From Middle English pepen. Compare Dutch piepen (“peep”), German Low German piepen (“to peep”), German piepen and pfeifen, all probably onomatopoeic.

Synonyms

peek

cheep

chirp

squeak

glance

spy

glimpse

twitter

pry

warble

tweet

peer

look

inspect

squeal

squint

appear

keek

spy upon

spy on

glance at

make one’s appearance

pipe

watch

⌚

look sideways

chirrup

scan

wheeze

whistle

wink

😉

look at carefully

look closely at

look-in

peek at

peep at

peep upon

peer at

peep through

peep in

peepdoor

look at the corner of the eye

shoot a glance at

shoot a look at

eye hole

bleep

blink

bow

🙇

consider

emerge

examine

Translations

piepen

tjilpen

kwetteren

sjilpen

piar

pépier

piar

gazouiller

pipilar

zwitschern

piepen

piepsen

begluren

pépiement

gorjear