peek /piːk/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Perhaps from Dutch kieken 'to look' ]
1 . to look quickly at something, or to look at something from behind something else, especially something that you are not supposed to see ⇨ peep
peek at/through/into etc
Carefully he peeked through the glass window in the door.
Paula opened the box and peeked inside.
Shut your eyes and don’t peek!
2 . [always + adverb/preposition] if something peeks from somewhere, you can just see a small amount of it:
The moon peeked out from behind the clouds.
—peek noun [countable] :
Diane took a quick peek at herself in the mirror.
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THESAURUS
▪ look to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them:
You should never look directly at the sun.
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After a while, he turned and looked at me.
▪ have/take a look especially spoken to look at something quickly, especially in order to find or check something:
I’ll have a look in my desk.
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Take a look at this!
▪ glance to look at someone or something for a short time and then look quickly away:
Damien glanced nervously at his watch.
▪ peek/peep ( also take a peek/peep ) to look quickly at something. Used especially when you are not supposed to look, or when you are looking through a small gap:
The door was open so he peeked inside.
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Katy peeped at her birthday present on the table.
▪ peer to look very carefully, especially because you cannot see well:
Kenji was peering at the screen.
▪ glare to look at someone in an angry way:
She glared at me as I got up to leave.
▪ stare to look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes:
It’s rude to stare.
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She stared straight into the camera.
▪ gaze to look at someone or something for a long time, often without realizing that you are doing it:
She gazed out of the window.
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He lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling.
▪ gape to look at someone or something for a long time, usually with your mouth open, because you are very shocked or surprised:
People gaped at him with wide-open mouths.
▪ regard formal to look at someone or something, especially in a particular way:
He regarded her steadily.