peep

Not a single word or sound from someone. Amy: "Hi Samantha, thank you for watching the kids for us. How were they?" Samantha: "They were great. I put them to bed at 8, and there hasn't been a peep out of them since!" There wasn't a peep from the students for the rest of the class after I sent Jonathan to detention.

slang To very carefully inspect, scrutinize, and correct the resolution, clarity, and quality of digital images or photographs. When I started getting into digital photography, I'll admit that I that I focused a bit too much on pixel peeping for a while. Later on though, I became less obsessive over technical quality and learned to appreciate well-composed photographs.

slang The act, habit, or practice of being particularly or overly critical of or sensitive to the resolution, clarity, and quality of digital images or photographs. When I started getting into digital photography, I'll admit that I that I focused a bit too much on pixel peeping for a while. Later on though, I became less obsessive over technical quality and learned to appreciate well-composed photographs in their own right.

A man who secretly observes women undressing or engaging in sexual intercourse. Unless you want to be a target for peeping Toms, you better get curtains for your bedroom windows soon.

Fig. to get some sort of a response from someone; to hear the smallest word from someone. (Usually in the negative.) I don't want to hear another peep out of you. I didn't know they were there. I didn't hear a peep out of them.

a quick look at someone or something. (*Typically: have ~; take ~.) Have a peep into the refrigerator and see if we need any milk. I took a peep at the comet through the telescope.

to get a glimpse of someone or something, as if looking through a hole. I peeped at Tom through the Venetian blinds. Look in the microscope and peep at this bacterium.

to get a quick look into something, as through a hole in the wall or something similar. I peeped into the oven to see what was cooking for dinner. She opened the oven door and peeped in.

to sneak a glimpse of someone or something out of something, as through a hole. A little mouse peeped out of its hole at the bright lights in the room. Johnny, hiding in the closet, peeped out at the guests through the partly opened door.

to raise up and sneak a glance over some barrier; to look over the top of something. The child peeped over the wall to get a look at the yard next door. Grandfather peeped over his glasses to look at the television set for a moment.

to take a quick glance through something, such as a hole, telescope, etc. Sam peeped through the keyhole and saw that the room was dark. Peep through the telescope and have a look at the moon!

to take a quick little glance under something. Would you please peep under the table and see if my shoes are there? Dave peeped under the bed, looking for the cat.

a man who secretly watches women while they are taking their clothes off or having sex I always close the curtains in case there are any peeping Toms across the road.

Hear the slightest noise from, as in I don't want to hear another peep out of those children. This expression is often used negatively, as in I didn't hear another peep out of them. [c. 1900]

A person who secretly watches others, especially for sexual gratification; a voyeur. For example, The police caught a peeping Tom right outside their house. This expression, first recorded in 1796, alludes to the legend of the tailor Tom, the only person to watch the naked Lady Godiva as she rode by and who was struck blind for this sin.

A short soft-core porn exhibition. To enjoy “forbidden” glimpses of naked female flesh, a man went to an arcade in a sleazy neighborhood, paid his dime or quarter, entered a booth, and stared through a peep hole at a partially or fully unclothed woman. The “show,” which lasted for no more than five or ten minutes, began when a shade or other obstruction over the peep hole was raised and ended when it was lowered. Instead of “live models,” some peep shows featured short films shown on individual viewing machines. Peep shows became less and less commercially viable as movie houses (and now the Internet) showed more explicit fare.