peaky

English

Etymology

From peak +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpiːki/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːki

Adjective

peaky (comparative peakier, superlative peakiest)

1. Sickly; peaked.
   • 1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, translated by Eileen Hall, Heidi, page 111:

     Her appetite did not improve, however, and she looked very thin and peaky.

2. Characterised by peaks.
   • 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “The Palace of Art”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 143:

     Or over hills with peaky tops engrail'd, / And many a tract of palm and rice, / The throne of Indian Cama slowly sail'd / A summer fann'd with spice.

   • 1994, John S. Hares, Duncan Royle, Measuring the value of information technology, page 176:

     A wide spread of possible outcomes will give a relatively flat distribution and so indicate a risky project. A narrow spread of results will give a very peaky graph and indicate a low risk project.

Derived terms

• peaky blinder

 

Translations

sickly

• Bulgarian: отслабнал (bg) (otslabnal)
• Dutch: ziekelijk (nl)
• Russian: измождённый (ru) m (izmoždjónnyj)