Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Peck \Peck\, n.
   A quick, sharp stroke, as with the beak of a bird or a
   pointed instrument.

Peck \Peck\, n. [Perh. akin to pack; or, orig., an indefinite
   quantity, and fr. peck, v. (below): cf. also F. picotin a
   peak.]
   1. The fourth part of a bushel; a dry measure of eight
      quarts; as, a peck of wheat. ``A peck of provender.''
      --Shak.

   2. A great deal; a large or excessive quantity. ``A peck of
      uncertainties and doubts.'' --Milton.

Peck \Peck\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pecked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Pecking}.] [See {Pick}, v.]
   1. To strike with the beak; to thrust the beak into; as, a
      bird pecks a tree.

   2. Hence: To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with
      a pointed instrument; especially, to strike, pick, etc.,
      with repeated quick movements.

   3. To seize and pick up with the beak, or as with the beak;
      to bite; to eat; -- often with up. --Addison.

            This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons peas. --Shak.

   4. To make, by striking with the beak or a pointed
      instrument; as, to peck a hole in a tree.

Peck \Peck\, v. i.
   1. To make strokes with the beak, or with a pointed
      instrument. --Carew.

   2. To pick up food with the beak; hence, to eat.

            [The hen] went pecking by his side.   --Dryden.

   {To peck at}, to attack with petty and repeated blows; to
      carp at; to nag; to tease.

Source : WordNet®

peck
     n 1: (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;
          "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of
          money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "it must
          have cost plenty" [syn: {batch}, {deal}, {flock}, {good
          deal}, {great deal}, {hatful}, {heap}, {lot}, {mass}, {mess},
           {mickle}, {mint}, {muckle}, {pile}, {plenty}, {pot}, {quite
          a little}, {raft}, {sight}, {slew}, {spate}, {stack}, {tidy
          sum}, {wad}, {whole lot}, {whole slew}]
     2: a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to
        2 gallons
     3: a United States dry measure equal to 8 quarts or 537.605
        cubic inches
     v 1: hit lightly with a picking motion [syn: {pick}, {beak}]
     2: eat by pecking at, like a bird [syn: {pick up}]
     3: kiss lightly [syn: {smack}]
     4: eat like a bird; "The anorexic girl just picks at her food"
        [syn: {pick at}, {peck at}]
     5: bother persistently with trivial complaints; "She nags her
        husband all day long" [syn: {nag}, {hen-peck}]