peck

Peck is a term with several senses in English. As a unit of dry-volume measure, it appears in both the United States customary system and the British imperial system. A peck is defined as eight quarts and is one-quarter of a bushel. There are two slightly different values depending on system: the US peck and the imperial (British) peck. In practical terms, both are roughly nine liters, with the US version around 9.31 L and the imperial version around 9.09 L. The unit is largely historical in modern commerce.

As a verb, peck means to strike with the beak, or to bite or pick at something, actions typical of birds. It can also describe small, repetitive taps or selections, such as pecking at food, or pecking at a keyboard. The noun form is used in phrases such as a peck of apples to denote a quantity.

The term appears in the expression pecking order, describing social hierarchy in flocks of birds and, by extension, human organizations. The notion emphasizes dominance and priority in access to resources or status.

Peck is also a surname. Notable individuals include Gregory Peck, the American actor. The word is used in various place names and cultural references.