Part 147

Milton.

Peel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Peeled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Peeling.] [F. peler to pull out the hair, to strip, to peel, fr. L. pilare to deprive of hair, fr. pilus a hair; or perh. partly fr. F. peler to peel off the skin, perh. fr. L. pellis skin (cf. Fell skin). Cf. Peruke.] 1. To strip off the skin, bark, or rind of; to strip by drawing or tearing off the skin, bark, husks, etc.; to flay; to decorticate; as, to peel an orange.

The skillful shepherd peeled me certain wands.

Shak.

2. To strip or tear off; to remove by stripping, as the skin of an animal, the bark of a tree, etc.

Peel, v. i. To lose the skin, bark, or rind; to come off, as the skin, bark, or rind does; -- often used with an adverb; as, the bark peels easily or readily.

Peel, n. The skin or rind; as, the peel of an orange.

Pee"le (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A graceful and swift South African antelope (Pelea capreola). The hair is woolly, and ash-gray on the back and sides. The horns are black, long, slender, straight, nearly smooth, and very sharp. Called also rheeboc, and rehboc.

Peel"er (?), n. One who peels or strips.

Peel"er, n. [See Peel to plunder.] A pillager.

Peel"er, n. A nickname for a policeman; -- so called from Sir Robert Peel. [British Slang] See Bobby.

Peel"house` (?), n. See 1st Peel. Sir W. Scott.

Peen (?), n. [Cf. G. pinne pane of a hammer.] (a) A round-edged, or hemispherical, end to the head of a hammer or sledge, used to stretch or bend metal by indentation. (b) The sharp-edged end of the head of a mason's hammer. [Spelt also pane, pein, and piend.]

Peen, v. t. To draw, bend, or straighten, as metal, by blows with the peen of a hammer or sledge.

Peenge (?), v. i. To complain. [Scot.]

Peep (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Peeped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Peeping.] [Of imitative origin; cf. OE. pipen, F. piper, pÈpier, L. pipire, pipare, pipiare, D. & G. piepen. Senses 2 and 3 perhaps come from a transfer of sense from the sound which chickens make upon the first breaking of the shell to the act accompanying it; or perhaps from the influence of peek, or peak. Cf. Pipe.] 1. To cry, as a chicken hatching or newly hatched; to chirp; to cheep.

There was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

Is. x. 14.

2. To begin to appear; to look forth from concealment; to make the first appearance.

When flowers first peeped, and trees did blossoms bear.

Dryden.

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3. To look cautiously or slyly; to peer, as through a crevice; to pry.

eep through the blanket of the dark.

Shak.

From her cabined loophole peep.

Milton.

Peep sight, an adjustable piece, pierced with a small hole to peep through in aiming, attached to a rifle or other firearm near the breech.