PEAK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does peak mean? 

• PEAK (noun)
  The noun PEAK has 7 senses:

1. the most extreme possible amount or value

2. the period of greatest prosperity or productivity

3. the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development

4. the top or extreme point of something (usually a mountain or hill)

5. a V shape

6. the highest point (of something)

7. a brim that projects to the front to shade the eyes

  Familiarity information: PEAK used as a noun is common.

• PEAK (verb)
  The verb PEAK has 1 sense:

1. to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity

  Familiarity information: PEAK used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PEAK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The most extreme possible amount or value

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

extremum; peak

Context example:

voltage peak

Hypernyms ("peak" is a kind of...):

limit; limitation (the greatest amount of something that is possible or allowed)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "peak"):

lower limit; minimum (the smallest possible quantity)

maximum; upper limit (the largest possible quantity)

Derivation:

peak (to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity)

peaky (having or as if having especially high-pitched spots)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The period of greatest prosperity or productivity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

bloom; blossom; efflorescence; flower; flush; heyday; peak; prime

Hypernyms ("peak" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "peak"):

golden age (a time period when some activity or skill was at its peak)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

acme; elevation; height; meridian; peak; pinnacle; summit; superlative; tiptop; top

Context example:

at the top of his profession

Hypernyms ("peak" is a kind of...):

degree; level; point; stage (a specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process)

Derivation:

peak (to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The top or extreme point of something (usually a mountain or hill)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

crest; crown; peak; summit; tip; top

Context example:

the region is a few molecules wide at the summit

Hypernyms ("peak" is a kind of...):

place; spot; topographic point (a point located with respect to surface features of some region)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "peak"):

brow; hilltop (the peak of a hill)

pinnacle (a lofty peak)

mountain peak (the summit of a mountain)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A V shape

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

peak; point; tip

Context example:

the cannibal's teeth were filed to sharp points

Hypernyms ("peak" is a kind of...):

convex shape; convexity (a shape that curves or bulges outward)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "peak"):

head (the tip of an abscess (where the pus accumulates))

cusp (small elevation on the grinding surface of a tooth)

widow's peak (a V-shaped point in the hairline in the middle of the forehead)

Holonyms ("peak" is a part of...):

arrowhead (the pointed head or striking tip of an arrow)

cone; cone shape; conoid (a shape whose base is a circle and whose sides taper up to a point)

blade; brand; steel; sword (a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard)

pencil (a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood)

knife (a weapon with a handle and blade with a sharp point)

alpenstock (a stout staff with a metal point; used by mountain climbers)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The highest point (of something)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

acme; apex; peak; vertex

Context example:

at the peak of the pyramid

Hypernyms ("peak" is a kind of...):

extreme; extreme point; extremum (the point located farthest from the middle of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "peak"):

crown (the part of a hat (the vertex) that covers the crown of the head)

roof peak (the highest point of a roof)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A brim that projects to the front to shade the eyes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bill; eyeshade; peak; visor; vizor

Context example:

he pulled down the bill of his cap and trudged ahead

Hypernyms ("peak" is a kind of...):

brim (a circular projection that sticks outward from the crown of a hat)

Holonyms ("peak" is a part of...):

kepi; peaked cap; service cap; yachting cap (a cap with a flat circular top and a visor)

baseball cap; golf cap; jockey cap (a cap with a bill)

• PEAK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they peak    ... he / she / it peaks   
Past simple: peaked   
Past participle: peaked   
-ing form: peaking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

To reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

peak; top out

Context example:

Bids for the painting topped out at $50 million

Hypernyms (to "peak" is one way to...):

arrive at; attain; gain; hit; make; reach (reach a destination, either real or abstract)

"Peak" entails doing...:

arise; come up; go up; lift; move up; rise; uprise (move upward)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "peak"):

crest (reach a high point)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

peak (the most extreme possible amount or value)

peak (the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development)

 Context examples 

The expression of this allele peaks at the G1-S phase and has distinct tissue specificity.

(CCNE2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Pluto and Saturn move exceedingly slow, so as they part (having peaked in energy January 12, but after that, on the decline), you will see changes in weeks and months ahead.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

This provides a list of peaks and their position with typically around 25 peaks detected per electropherogram.

(Chromint Software, NCI Thesaurus)

It was a sublimates condition of existence, the topmost peak of living, and it came rarely.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Decreased time following concomitant drug administration at which the peak drug blood concentration occurs.

(Decreased Time To Concomitant Drug Peak Blood Concentration, NCI Thesaurus)

Performs peak identification for a collection of SELDI-TOF protein mass spectrometry samples.

(caPROcess Analytic Service, NCI Thesaurus)

Satellite measurements of energy reflected from the Arctic provide a picture of why earthshine peaks in the spring.

(Earthshine, NASA)

It was noticed that symptoms remain even after the infection in the mice was brought under control, and that the virus replicated and had a replication peak that lasted for days.

(Zika virus found to harm adults’ memory and motor system, Agência Brasil/EBC)

Burivalova and his team found that soundscape saturation peaked at dawn and dusk, likely because most birds and amphibians vocalise in those periods.

(Scientists record the sound of intact forest, SciDev.Net)

When the number of clock proteins in one cell peaks, the cell communicates this to its slower neighbours, which follow the first cell’s lead and produce more clock proteins too.

(Plants can tell time even without a brain, University of Cambridge)