Etymology

peak

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Today it means: A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap. Full definition →

Middle English pek ← Old English pīc ← Proto-West Germanic *pīk
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peak · noun, verb, adjective1

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*pīkaz“peak”
  2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*pīk
  3. Old English · inherited frompīc
  4. Middle English · inherited frompek
  5. English todaypeak

From earlier peake, peek, peke, from Middle English pek (in place names), itself an alteration of pike, pyke, pyk (“a sharp point, pike”), from Old English pīc, piic (“a pike, needle, pin, peak, pinnacle”), from Proto-West Germanic *pīk, from Proto-Germanic *pīkaz (“peak”). Cognate with Dutch piek (“pike, point, summit, peak”), Danish pik (“pike, peak”), Swedish pik (“pike, lance, point, peak”), Norwegian pik (“peak, summit”). More at pike.

peak · verb2

Unknown. Perhaps related to Etymology 1 above in the sense of "becoming pointed" through emaciation.

Peak · proper noun3

* As an English surname, from several placenames in England derived from the noun peak or its source. * Also as an English surname, shortened from Peacock. * As an Irish surname, shortened from McPeak.

Words from the same roots

Old Englishpīc all →

McPeak

Proto-West Germanic*pīk all →

pitchpickaxe

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.