Peeking

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpiːkɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Glancing quickly or secretly at something, often trying not to be seen
2. To take a brief and furtive look at something without drawing attention
3. Casting a swift and hidden glance toward something, usually out of curiosity or caution

Etymology: "Peeking" is the -ing form of "peek", and the verb it comes from is a blend. Middle English had two near-synonyms, "pepen" (to peep) and "keken" or "kiken" (to keek, meaning to look or spy), and "peken" or "piken" appears to have fused them into a single word. Some scholars also suggest a possible scrambling of letters from "kepen" or "kipen", meaning to watch or observe, though this link is less certain. The result is a word that carries two older sounds at once: the thin, chirping "pee" of peep and the sharp, watchful "k" of keek. Peeking therefore inherits both the quick glance and the sense of looking out for something, which is why it suits both curiosity and caution.

Synonyms: glancing, sneaking, spying