pecking at
Biting in bits
Pecking at describes repeated small, sharp strikes—like a bird's beak hitting something: The chickens were pecking at the ground.
Extended to eating, it means taking tiny, unenthusiastic bites: She just pecked at her dinner.
Applied to work or problems, it suggests making slow, incremental progress: I've been pecking at this project for weeks.
- tappingRepeated light striking
- peckingJabbing with beak
- dabblingShallow, casual involvement
- scratchingRaking with nails
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
bird feeding · striking · feeding · picking at food · nitpicking · nibbling · tinkering · skimming · poking · harping on · pecking order · nervous habit · prodding · sampling · probing · knocking · flicking · scavenging
pecking atdevouring
Eating greedily and quickly
wolfing down · scarfing down · inhaling · digging into · polishing off
peck, pecks, pecked, pecker, peckers, woodpecker, woodpeckers