pedigree
1026
you buy such an expensive cat. | a dog of unknown pedigree | a
young woman of impeccable pedigree (=from an ancient
family)
**pedigree**² *adj* [A] (of an animal) descended from a long,
recorded, and usually specially chosen family of animals,
and therefore of high quality: a pedigree dog → compare
MONGREL, PUREBRED, THOROUGHBRED
**Pedigree 'Chum** *trademark* a type of food for dogs sold in
cans in the UK
**ped·i·ment** /'pedɪmənt/ *n* a three-sided piece of stone or
other material placed above the entrance to a building,
found especially in the buildings of ancient Greece
**ped·lar** also **peddler** *AmE* /'pedləʳ/ *n* a person who, in the
past, went from place to place trying to sell small articles
**pe·do·phile** /'pi:dəfaɪl/ *n* *AmE* for PAEDOPHILE
**pee** /pi:/ *v* [I] *infml* for URINATE
**pee**² *n* *infml* **1** [S] an act of urinating (URINATE): *I must go
for/have a pee.* **2** [U] URINE
**peek** /pi:k/ *v* [I(at)] *infml* to take a quick look at something,
especially when one should not: *They caught him peeking
through the keyhole at what was going on in the room.* →
compare PEEP, PEER —**peek** *n* [S(at)] *to take/have a peek*
**peek·a·boo** /ˌpi:kə'bu:/ also **peepbo** *interj, n* [U] (a shout
used in) a game played to amuse babies, in which you
repeatedly hide your face and then bring it back into view,
saying 'peek-a-boo'
**peel**¹ /pi:l/ *v* **1** [T] to remove the outer covering from (a
fruit, vegetable etc): *a machine that peels pota-
toes* **2** [T+obj+adv/prep] to remove (the outer covering) from
something: *She peeled the skin off the banana. | He peeled
away the outer layers of the onion. | (fig.) They peeled off their
clothes and jumped into the water.* **3** [I] **a)** to lose an outer
covering or surface: *The walls were damp and were peel-
ing.* **b)** (of an outer covering or surface) to come off,
especially in small pieces: *Wallpaper was peeling off the
damp walls. | My skin always peels when I've been in the
sun.* **4** *keep one's eyes peeled* *infml* to keep careful watch
for anything dangerous or unusual which may happen
**peel off** *phr v* [I] (of an aircraft) to turn and move away
from other aircraft in the air
**peel**² *n* [U] the outer covering of certain fruits and vegetables,
especially of those which one usually peels before eating:
*One speaks of orange peel and apple peel, but of tomato skin.*
→ compare RIND; see also PEELINGS; see RIND (USAGE) and
see picture at FRUIT
**Peel, Em·ma** /'emə/ a character played by the British actress
Diana RIGG in the television series *The Avengers*
**Peel, Rob·ert** /'rɒbət||'rɔ:bərṱ/ (1788–1850) a British Con-
servative politician who established the first official British
police force and introduced freedoms for Roman Catholics.
He was PRIME MINISTER from 1834 to 1835 and 1841 to
1846.
**peel·er** /'pi:ləʳ/ *n* **1** a special type of knife for peeling fruit
or vegetables **2** *BrE old-fash (often cap.)* a policeman (from Sir
Robert Peel, who began the London police force in 1829)
**peel·ings** /'pi:lɪŋz/ *n* [P] parts peeled off, especially from
potatoes
**peep**¹ /pi:p/ *v* [I] **1** [(at)] to look at something quickly and
secretly, especially through a hole or other small opening: *I
caught him peeping at my work. I peeping through the cur-
tains* **2** [+adv/prep] to begin slowly to appear; come partly
into view: *The flowers are beginning to peep through the soil.*
→ compare PEEK, PEER
**peep**² *n* [S(at)] a quick, incomplete, or secret look: *He took a
peep at the back of the book to find out the answers to the
questions.*
**peep**³ *n* **1** [C] a short weak high sound as made by a young
bird or a mouse **2** [S] *infml* a sound, especially something
spoken: *I don't want to hear a peep out of you until dinner-
time. (=be quiet!) | We haven't had a peep out of (=haven't
heard from) them for over a month.* **3** [C] *BrE* also beep (used
especially by or to children) the sound of a car's horn
**peep**⁴ *v* [I] to make a PEEP
**peep·bo** /'pi:pəʊ/ *interj, n* [U] PEEKABOO
**peep·er** /'pi:pəʳ/ *n* **1** [usually pl.] *infml* an eye: *Keep your*
peepers open! (=watch carefully!) **2** usually *derog* someone who
PEEPS, especially a PEEPING TOM
**peep·hole** /'pi:pəʊl/ *n* a small hole, especially in a door or
wall, through which one can peep at something. Peepholes
are often found in doors for safety reasons so that the
person inside can check who is outside before opening the
door.
**peeping 'Tom** *n* *derog* a person who secretly looks at others
who don't know they are being watched, especially when
they are undressing (from the story of Peeping Tom who is
said to have been a TAILOR from the city of Coventry in
central England, who peeped at Lady Godiva as she rode
through the city with no clothes on and was struck blind)
'**peep show** *n* **1** an especially sexy entertainment (e.g. a
film) or object (e.g. a photograph) seen through a small hole
usually fitted with glass to make the image bigger **2** a live
show with sexy entertainment
**peer**¹ /pɪəʳ/ *n* **1** *fml or tech* a person of the same age, class,
position etc, as oneself: *The opinions of his peers are more
important to him than his parents' ideas. | Children are very
susceptible to peer pressure.* → see also PEERLESS **2** also peer
of the realm — (in Britain) a member of any of five noble
ranks BARON, VISCOUNT, EARL, MARQUIS and DUKE who has
the right to sit in the House of Lords → see also LIFE PEER,
PEERESS and see Feature on page A20
**peer**² *v* [I+adv/prep] to look very carefully or hard, especially as
if not able to see clearly: *She peered through the mist, trying
to find the right path.* → compare PEEK, PEEP
**peer·age** /'pɪərɪdʒ/ *n* **1** [(the) C] the rank of a PEER: *After ten
years in the government she was given a peerage/was raised
to the peerage.* **2** [the S+sing./pl. v] all the peers, considered as
a group **3** [C] a book containing a list of peers and the
families from which they are descended
**peer·ess** /'pɪərɪəs/ *n* **1** a female PEER **2** the wife of a PEER
'**peer group** *n* a group of people of the same age, class,
background etc (as oneself): *Children are very susceptible to
peer-group pressure/pressure from their peer group.*
**peer·less** /'pɪəlɪs||'pɪər-/ *adj* *fml apprec* without an equal;
better than any other: *peerless beauty*
'**peer ,pressure** *n* the pressure to be the same as one's peers.
This phrase usually means the pressure on young people to
smoke, drink, take drugs etc, when they feel they must do
such things to have friends.
**peeve** /pi:v/ *v* [T often pass.] *infml* to make (someone) feel angry
and offended: *I was very peeved by his refusal to cooperate.*
**peev·ish** /'pi:vɪʃ/ *adj* bad-tempered; easily annoyed by
unimportant things —**ly** *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**pee·wit** /'pi:wɪt/ *n* a LAPWING
**peg**¹ /peg/ *n* **1** a short piece of wood, metal etc, usually
thinner at one end than at the other, used for fastening
things, hanging things on etc: *Hang your coat on the peg. |
First hammer the tent pegs into the ground, then tie the ropes
onto them. | (fig.) He'll use anything as a peg to hang an
argument on.* **2** also clothes peg *BrE* || clothespin *AmE* — a
small piece of plastic or wood with two points, or two
rounded ends held together by a spring, used for fixing
washed clothes to a line to dry **3** also tuning peg — a
wooden screw used to tighten or loosen the strings of
certain musical instruments **4** *BrE, becoming rare* a small
amount of a strong alcoholic drink, especially WHISKY or
BRANDY **5** *off the peg* || *off the rack* (of clothes) not
specially made to fit a particular person's measurements: *He
buys his suits off the peg. | Off-the-peg clothes are usually,
cheaper. | (fig.) off-the-peg computer software (=not specially
written for a particular user)* → compare BESPOKE, off the
shelf (SHELF) **6** *take someone down a peg (or two)* *infml* to
show someone that they are not as important as they
thought they were → see also square peg in a round hole
(SQUARE²)
**peg**² *v* -gg- [T] **1** to fasten with a peg **2** [(OUT, UP)] *BrE* to
fasten (wet clothes) to a rope with a peg for drying **3** to fix
or hold (prices, wages etc) at a certain level
**peg away at** sthg. *phr v* [T no pass.] *infml* to work hard and
steadily at
**peg out** *phr v* **1** [T(peg sthg, ↔ out)] to mark (a piece of
ground) with wooden sticks **2** [I] *infml, especially BrE* to die