v. & n.
v.tr. 1 strike or bite (something) with a beak. 2 kiss (esp. a person's cheek) hastily or perfunctorily. 3 a make (a hole) by pecking. b (foll. by out, off) remove or pluck out by pecking. 4 colloq. (also absol.) eat (food) listlessly; nibble at. 5 mark with short strokes. 6 (usu. foll. by up, down) break with a pick etc.
n. 1 a a stroke or bite with a beak. b a mark made by this. 2 a hasty or perfunctory kiss. 3 sl. food. peck at 1 eat (food) listlessly; nibble. 2 carp at; nag. 3 strike (a thing) repeatedly with a beak. pecking (or peck) order a social hierarchy, orig. as observed among hens.
[ ME prob. f. MLG pekken, of unkn. orig. ]