peck at
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words
to do something little by little with small quick touches or bites
Literal meaning: to strike with the beak at something repeatedly
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
neutral
to eat food in very small amounts or with little appetite
"She just pecked at her salad and said she wasn't hungry."
Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 neutral
to hit or touch something with small repeated movements, like a bird using its beak
"The chicken pecked at the ground near the fence."
Grammar: inseparable
3 C1
idiomatic
neutral
to work on something slowly, in small stages, without much progress
"He spent the afternoon pecking at the report between phone calls."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Often used literally for birds, but also figuratively for eating very little or making slow, small efforts at work.
Commonly used with
food plate keyboard problem ground seeds
Forms
Base
peck at
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pecks at
he/she/it
Past simple
pecked at
yesterday
Past participle
pecked at
have + pp
-ing form
pecking at
continuous
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Synonyms
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