- 1 [usually singular] the point when somebody/something is best, most successful, strongest, etc. synonym height Traffic reaches its peak between 8 and 9 in the morning. She's at the peak of her career. the peaks and troughs of married life Membership of the club has fallen from a peak of 600 people in 2006. compare off-peak Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveall-time, seasonal, summer, … verb + peakrise to, rise towards/toward, hit, … peak + nounhours, period, season, … prepositionat a/the/your peak, peak of phrasesin peak condition, peaks and troughs See full entry See related entries: Trends
- 2 the pointed top of a mountain; a mountain with a pointed top a mountain peak snow-capped/jagged peaks The climbers made camp halfway up the peak. Wordfindermountainaltitude, foothill, mountain, peak, precipice, ridge, slope, summit, valley, volcano Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivehigh, lofty, towering, … verb + peakclimb, conquer, scale, … peak + verbloom, rise, tower, … prepositionon a/the peak See full entry See related entries: Mountains and valleys
- 3any narrow and pointed shape, edge, etc. Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks. He combed his hair into a peak.
- 4(British English) (North American English bill, visor) the stiff front part of a cap that sticks out above your eyes Word Originmid 16th cent.: probably a back-formation from peaked, variant of dialect picked ‘pointed’.Extra examples Economic life moves in cycles of peaks and troughs. Her performance is just past its peak. Production is rising back towards its 1999 peak. She is at the peak of her popularity. The crisis was now at its peak. The engine is tuned to peak efficiency. The graph shows two very sharp price peaks. The influx of tourists has reached its summer peak. The party’s numbers reached a peak of 40 000 in 2001. The share index rose to a new all-time peak of 2112. We looked up at the rocky peaks towering above us. You want your hair to look in peak condition. at times of peak demand climbers on the distant mountain peaks peak-rate phone calls Membership of the club has fallen from a peak of 600 people in 2005. a mountain peak snow-capped/jagged peaks
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