peak

noun

1. A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap.

   “A less risky method is to lift your whisk or beater to check the condition of the peaks of the egg whites; the foam should be just stiff enough to stand up in well-defined, unwavering peaks.”

2. The highest value reached by some quantity in a time period.

   “The stock market reached a peak in September 1929.”

   “By last year, family income was 8 percent lower than it had been 11 years earlier, at its peak in 2000, according to inflation-adjusted numbers from the Census Bureau.”

3. The top, or one of the tops, of a hill, mountain, or range, ending in a point.

   “They reached the peak after 8 hours of climbing.”

4. The whole hill or mountain, especially when isolated.

   “To the South we observed a large plain some ten miles wide, with snowy peaks rising on the farther side. In front was a hill projecting into the plain, on which stood a mani wall; and this latter discovery made me feel quite confident that I was on the high road to Lhassa.”

5. (UK)visor (horizontal part of a cap sticking out in front and shading the wearer's eyes)
6. The upper aftermost corner of a fore-and-aft sail.

   “peak-halyards”

   “peak-brails”

7. The narrow part of a vessel's bow, or the hold within it.
8. The extremity of an anchor fluke; the bill.
9. A local maximum of a function, e.g. for sine waves, each point at which the value of y is at its maximum.
10. (Internet, uncountable)Something of exceptional quality.

    “There's so much peak on this website!”

11. (alt-of, alternative, uncountable)Alternative form of peag (“wampum”).

verb

1. (transitive)To raise the point of (a gaff) closer to perpendicular.
2. (transitive)To exceed the maximum signal amplitude of (a piece of equipment), resulting in clipping of the signal.
3. (intransitive)To reach a highest degree or maximum.

   “Historians argue about when the Roman Empire began to peak and ultimately decay.”

4. (intransitive)To rise or extend into a peak or point; to form, or appear as, a peak.

   “There peaketh up a mightie high mounte.”

5. (intransitive)To reach the highest level of success or greatness in one's lifetime.
6. (intransitive)To reach the point of strongest effect from a drug.
7. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis)Ellipsis of peak trans.

   “I came to this via sport but the thing that really peaked me was this.”

   “My friend peaked me last year, at the GRA [Gender Recognition Act] consultation.”

   “Solidarity from Spain, @jk_rowling. Thank you for peaking so many people all over the world.”

8. (intransitive)To become sick or wan.
9. (intransitive)To acquire sharpness of figure or features; hence, to look thin or sickly.

   “Dwindle, peak, and pine.”

10. (intransitive)To pry; to peep slyly.
11. (alt-of, misspelling)Misspelling of pique.

adj

1. At the greatest extent; maximum.

   “peak oil, Peak TV”

2. (slang)Maximal, quintessential, archetypical, strictly with positive connotations; representing the culmination of its type.

   “Knowing obscure 19th-century slang is peak nerd.”

3. (Multicultural-London-English, dated)Bad.

   “When they're tryna get the girl to the crib and she leaves, it's peak / Tryna keep it discreet and she tweets, it's peak / See me rolling with 20 man deep, it's peak / Yo rudeboy, pull up, repeat, it's peak”

   “Tempting, but I think it's actually something I need to do. Like, I get what they did was peak, but I have to take some responsibility, you know?”

4. (Multicultural-London-English, dated)Unlucky; unfortunate.

   “You didn't get a spot? That's peak.”

5. (Internet)Very good or high-quality.

   “That movie last night was so peak.”

name

1. A surname.