Other forms: peaked, peaks, peaking
A peak is the very top point of a mountain. A snow-covered peak, reach the peak, the highest peak.
It also means the highest point of anything over time: peak demand, at the peak of her career, past his peak. Peak time and off-peak divide prices on trains and phone contracts. As a verb it means to reach the highest point: the figures peaked in March. Note peak as the stiff front of a cap — a peaked cap — and the newer construction peak something, meaning the point after which it declines.
1nounpeakThe top point of a mountain.
“Snow still covered the peak even in the middle of summer.”
2nountimeThe highest point of something over time.
“Demand reaches its peak at about six in the evening.”
3verbreachTo reach the highest point.
“The figures peaked in March and have fallen since.”
peak is a highest point.
Also accepted in games: summit
The word is related to pike, a sharp point, from the same root as pick. The mountain peak, the pike fish and the pointed weapon are all named for the same sharpness.
Proto-Germanic
*pīkaz — peak
Proto-West Germanic
*pīk
Old English
pīc
Middle English
pek
English, today
peak
Built from
From earlier peake, peek, peke, from Middle English pek (in place names), itself an alteration of pike, pyke, pyk (“a sharp point, pike”), from Old English pīc, piic (“a pike, needle, pin, peak, pinnacle”), from Proto-West Germanic pīk, from Proto-Germanic pīkaz (“peak”). Cognate with Dutch piek (“pike, point, summit, peak”), Danish pik (“pike, peak”), Swedish pik (“pike, lance, point, peak”), Norwegian pik (“peak, summit”). More at pike.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA