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Definition of "peckish" [peck•ish]

  • Ill-tempered; irritable. (adjective)
  • Chiefly British Somewhat hungry. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "peckish" in a sentence
  • "Where I come from "peckish" means hungry, or did back when people said "peckish.""
  • "Meanwhile, my eyes are really dry and I'd like to put eye drops in so I can reinsert my contacts soon, and I'm feeling kind of peckish, but my pupils show no signs of undilating and I'd prefer not to be caught here, glazed and snarfing chips."
  • "Then he stated that the beer was the best he had ever tasted, except in Bavaria, and in some parts of Spain, he added; and professing to be extremely "peckish," requested to know if there were any cold meat in the house whereof he could make a dinner."