Annie peck

Annie Smith, 1850–1935, U.S. mountain climber.
Gregory, 1916–2003, U.S. actor.
noun
a unit of dry measure equal to 8 quarts or one quarter of a bushel
a container used for measuring this quantity
a large quantity or number
verb
when intr, sometimes foll by at. to strike with the beak or with a pointed instrument
(transitive) sometimes foll by out. to dig (a hole) by pecking
(transitive) (of birds) to pick up (corn, worms, etc) by pecking
(intransitive) often foll by at. to nibble or pick (at one’s food)
(informal) to kiss (a person) quickly and lightly
(intransitive) foll by at. to nag
noun
a quick light blow, esp from a bird’s beak
a mark made by such a blow
(informal) a quick light kiss
noun
Gregory. 1916–2003, US film actor; his films include Keys of the Kingdom (1944), The Gunfighter (1950), The Big Country (1958), To Kill a Mockingbird (1963), The Omen (1976), and Other People’s Money (1991)
v.

c.1300, possibly a variant of picken (see pick (v.)), or in part from Middle Low German pekken “to peck with the beak.” Related: Pecked; pecking.
n.

late 13c., “dry measure of one-quarter bushel,” of unknown origin; perhaps connected with Old French pek, picot (13c.), also of unknown origin (Barnhart says these were borrowed from English). Chiefly of oats for horses; original sense may be “allowance” rather than a fixed measure, thus perhaps from peck (v.).

“act of pecking,” 1610s, from peck (v.). It is attested earlier in thieves’ slang (1560s) with a sense of “food, grub.”

noun

peckerwood (1940s+ Black)
Food (1960s+ Teenagers)
A perfunctory kiss: She gave him a friendly peck and got back to work (1893+)

verb

To eat (1960s+ Black)

Related Terms

a peck of trouble