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peek (v.)[peek 词源字典]: late 14c., piken "look quickly and slyly," of unknown origin. The words peek, keek, and peep all were used with more or less the same meaning 14c.-15c.; perhaps the ultimate source was Middle Dutch kieken. Related: Peeked; peeking.[peek etymology, peek origin, 英语词源]
peek (n.): "a peek, glance," 1844, from peek (v.).
peekaboo (n.): also peek-a-boo, as a children's game attested from 1590s; as an adjective meaning "see-through, open," it dates from 1895. From peek (v.) + boo.
peel (v.): "to strip off," developed from Old English pilian "to peel, skin, decorticate, strip the skin or ring," and Old French pillier, both from Latin pilare "to strip of hair," from pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)). Probably also influenced by Latin pellis "skin, hide." Related: Peeled; peeling. Figurative expression keep (one's) eyes peeled be observant, be on the alert" is from 1853, American English.
peel (n.2): "shovel-shaped instrument" used by bakers, etc., c. 1400, from Old French pele (Modern French pelle) "shovel," from Latin pala "spade, shovel, baker's peel," of unknown origin.
peel (n.1): piece of rind or skin, 1580s, from earlier pill, pile (late 14c.), from peel (v.)).
peel out (v.): hot-rodders' slang, 1952, perhaps from peel "blade or wash of an oar" (1875, American English), earlier "shovel-shaped instrument" (see peel (n.2). Or it might be from aircraft pilot phrase peel off "veer away from formation" (World War II), or from earlier American English slang peel it "run away at full speed" (1860).
peeler (n.): "policeman," 1817, British colloquial, originally a member of the Irish constabulary, named for Sir (at that time Mr.) Robert Peel (1788-1850) who founded the Irish Constabulary (compare bobby). In Middle English it meant "robber, thief" (mid-14c.). Meaning "strip-tease artist" (1951) is from peel (v.) in colloquial sense of "strip off clothing" (1820).
peen (n.): 1680s, "sharp or thin end of a hammer head, opposite the face," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian dialectal penn "peen," Old Swedish pæna "beat iron thin with a hammer"). Earlier as a verb, "to beat thin with a hammer" (1510s).
peep (v.1): "glance" (especially through a small opening), mid-15c., perhaps alteration of Middle English piken (see peek (v.)). Peeping Tom "a curious prying fellow" [Grose] is from 1796 (see Godiva).
peep (v.2): "make a short chirp," c. 1400, probably altered from pipen (mid-13c.), ultimately imitative (compare Latin pipare, French pepier, German piepen, Lithuanian pypti, Czech pipati, Greek pipos).
peep (n.2): "short chirp," early 15c., from peep (v.2); meaning "slightest sound or utterance" (usually in a negative context) is attested from 1903. Meaning "young chicken" is from 1680s. The marshmallow peeps confection are said to date from 1950s.
peep (n.1): 1520s, first in sense found in peep of day, from peep (v.1); meaning "a furtive glance" is first recorded 1730.
peep-hole (n.): 1680s, from peep (v.1) + hole (n.).
peep-show (n.): 1851 (not typically salacious until c. 1914), from peep (v.1) + show (n.).
peepee: 1923, childish reduplication of pee.
peeper (n.): 1650s, "one who peeps," agent noun from peep (v.1). Slang meaning "eye" is c. 1700. From 1590s as "young chicken" and 1857 as "tree frog" (American English), both from peep (v.2).
peer (n.): c. 1300, "an equal in rank or status" (early 13c. in Anglo-Latin), from Anglo-French peir, Old French per (10c.), from Latin par "equal" (see par (n.)). Sense of "a noble" (late 14c.) is from Charlemagne's Twelve Peers in the old romances, who, like the Arthurian knights of the Round Table, originally were so called because all were equal. Sociological sense of "one of the same age group or social set" is from 1944. Peer review attested by 1970. Peer pressure is first recorded 1971.
peer (v.): "to look closely," 1590s, variant of piren (late 14c.), with a long -i-, probably related to or from East Frisian piren "to look," of uncertain origin. Influenced in form and sense by Middle English peren (late 14c.), shortened form of aperen (see appear). Related: Peered; peering.
peerage (n.): mid-15c., "peers collectively," from peer (n.) + -age. Probably on model of Old French parage.