peckishadj.
/ˈpɛkɪʃ/, U.S. /ˈpɛkɪʃ/ colloquial.† 2. Appetizing. Obsolete. rare.
1. Somewhat hungry.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > [adjective] > hungry
hungryc950
hungering971
hollow1362
eagera1475
empty?1490
ahungrya1500
sharp-set1540
greedlya1546
anhungry1578
starveling1578
belly-pinched1608
mad-hungry1608
jejunea1620
sharp-bent1675
sharp1678
nithered1691
peckish1714
stomach-tight1718
yap1768
yaupish1789
picksome1847
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > [adjective] > having (good) appetite > greedy or voracious > of appetite or stomach
greedy1526
ostrich1598
caninal1599
canine1609
voracious1635
angry1673
peckish1714
1714 A. Smith Hist. Lives Highway-men 243 Richard Low..and his Camrade being one Day very Peckish, and meeting with a Boor in Ghent loaded with Capons.., they struck up a Bargain with him for half of them.
1793 J. O'Keeffe London Hermit i. ii. 21 I wish we had dinner; I'm proud to say I'm quite peckish.
1824 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 1st Ser. II. 21 I assure you I'm rather peckish.
1898 J. K. Jerome Second Thoughts 279 You're a bit peckish too, I expect.
1936 P. G. Wodehouse Laughing Gas viii. 86 Not since the distant days of my first private school had I been conscious of such a devastating hunger. Peckish is not the word. I felt like a homeless tapeworm.
1962 O. Manning Spoilt City ii. vii. 81 Having had no tea, he was..a trifle peckish.
1988 L. Colwin Home Cooking xxviii. 165 At four in the afternoon, everyone feels a little peckish, but only the British have institutionalised this feeling.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > taste and flavour > savouriness > [adjective]
likingeOE
goodOE
lickerousc1275
deliciousa1325
daintya1382
dainteousc1386
daintiful1393
delicatea1398
merrya1398
savourlyc1400
liciousc1420
savourousa1425
daintethc1430
lustyc1430
feelsomea1450
nuttya1450
seasonablea1475
delicativec1475
unctuous1495
well-tasteda1500
daintive1526
savoury1533
exquisite1561
spicy1562
well-relished?1575
finger-licking1584
toothsome1584
taste-pleasinga1586
daint1590
relishsome1593
lickerish1595
tastesome1598
friand1599
tooth-tempting1603
relishing1605
well-relishing1608
neat1609
hungry1611
palate-pleasing1611
tasteful1611
palatea1617
tastya1617
palatable1619
toothful1622
sipid1623
unsoured1626
famelic1631
tasteablea1641
piquant1645
sapid1646
saporousa1670
slape1671
palativea1682
flavorous1697
nice1709
well-flavoured1717
gusty1721
flavoury1727
fine-palated1735
unrepulsive1787
degustatory1824
zesty1826
peckish1845
mouth-watering1847
flavoursome1853
unreasty1853
unrancida1855
relishy1864
toothy1864
flavoured1867
tasty-looking1867
hungrifying1886
velvety1888
snappy1892
zippy1911
savoursome1922
delish1953
the world > food and drink > food > qualities of food > [adjective] > promoting appetite
tooth-tempting1603
piquant1645
appetizing1653
moreish1691
peckish1845
mouth-watering1847
appetitive1864
tasty-looking1867
hungrifying1886
zippy1911
1845 Peter Parley's Ann. 238 This perch has been kept in a small garden pond..; biting at everything peckish that comes in his way.
3. North American. Irritable, peevish; touchy.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > irritability > irritable [adjective]
sharpc1000
impatient1377
out-sharpinga1382
teethya1500
fumish1523
testy1526
crabbed1535
tettish1567
peevish1577
kickish1589
splenetic1593
spleenful1594
tetchy1596
wasp-stung1598
touchy1602
spleeny1604
pruriginous1609
teety1621
splenitive1633
peltish1648
irritable1662
splenatic1663
splenetive1678
unheer1691
rusty1694
nettlesome1766
stingy1781
snarly1798
tutty1809
spleenical1818
rileya1824
nettly1825
edgy1837
porcupinal1846
shirty1846
raspish1854
peckish1857
streaky1860
owly1864
teasy1866
fussy1869
raspy1869
spiky1881
chippyc1885
tetchous1890
narky1895
snarky1906
ringy1907
snarkish1912
Scot1916
crooked1945
niggly1952
snooty1959
kvetchy1965
to be on the rag1967
sandpaper1976
gribble1984
splenous-
1857 Putnam's Monthly Mag. June 626/2 I have observed that mothers are apt to be oversweet on their daughters-in-law at first, and terribly peckish on them afterwards.
1863 Southern Literary Messenger Apr. 212/2 Sarah is a good woman, though she is a little peckish at times.
1895 Dial. Notes 1 392 Peckish, easily offended.
1944 J. Stafford Boston Adventure II. i. iv. 275 She's my aunt's cat. Since her last accouchement, she's been rather peckish.
2000 Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (Nexis) 30 Apr. 8 d Architect Michael Graves was in a peckish mood. Maybe it was his cold.
Derivatives
ˈpeckishness n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > [noun]
hungerc825
appetite1303
famec1515
sharpness1581
suction1615
meat-will1643
sucking1656
sharpsetness1673
esurition1678
stomach-worm1788
hunger-pain1820
yird-hunger1825
appetizement1826
yapness1828
esuriencea1834
peckishness1871
sinking feeling1890
1871 J. Burnley Phases Bradford Life 111 In a state of considerable peckishness.
1958 G. Durrell Encounters with Animals i. 25 They [sc. forest shrews] will even in a moment of peckishness think nothing of eating one another.
2001 Kirkus Rev. (Nexis) 1 Aug. Feeling a peckishness of the spirit for all the tried-and-true reasons—his job a corporate trap, his writing going nowhere, [etc.]
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1714