keek

English

Etymology

From Middle English kyken, kiken, keken (“to look, peep”), possibly from Middle Dutch kieken or Middle Low German kīken (“to look, peep”), from Old Saxon *kīkan (“to look”), from Proto-Germanic *kīkaną (“to look”). Cognate with Dutch kijken (“to look”), Low German kīken (“to look”), German kucken, gucken (“to look”), Danish kigge, kikke (“to look, peep”), Swedish kika (“to peep, peek, keek, pry”), Icelandic kikja (“to look, check”). Perhaps related to kick.

The words peek, keek and peep were used more or less synonymously in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /kiːk/

Verb

keek (third-person singular simple present keeks, present participle keeking, simple past and past participle keeked)

1. To peek; peep.

   The man keeked over the fence.

Noun

keek (plural keeks)

1. A look, especially a quick one; a peek.

Related terms

• look
• peek
• peep

References

• “keek” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
• “keek” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eːk
• IPA: /kek/

Verb

keek

1. singular past indicative of kijken

Anagrams

• keke

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Scots

Etymology 1

Possibly from Middle English kiken.

Verb

tae keek (third-person singular simple present keeks, present participle keekin, simple past keeked, past participle keeked)

1. To have a quick look or peek.
2. To tilt or lean back.

Noun

keek (plural keeks)

1. A quick look or peek.

Etymology 2

Noun

keek (plural keeks)

1. A cap made of linen worn around the head and neck.

References

• Dictionary of the Scots Language, Scottish Language Dictionaries, Edinburgh [1]