peep
A quick, secret look at something.
The word peep has several meanings:
- A quick, often secretive look at something. When you peep through a keyhole or around a corner, you're trying to see without being noticed. You might peep at your birthday presents before the party, or peep over someone's shoulder to see what they're reading.
- A small, high-pitched sound, like the noise a baby bird makes. Chicks in a nest peep when they're hungry. You might hear a peep from a smoke detector when its battery runs low. When parents tell kids, “I don't want to hear a peep out of you,” they mean they want complete silence.
- The word can also mean the first appearance of something. When the sun rises, you see the first peep of daylight. When spring flowers start emerging, that's the first peep of spring.
These meanings connect through the idea of something small and brief: a quick glimpse, a tiny sound, or just the beginning of something larger.