peak

Universal Words noun, verb, adjective noun 1 [usuallysing.] the point when sb/sth is best, most successful, strongest, etc: 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 1990. compareOFF-PEAK 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. 3 any narrow and pointed shape, edge, etc: Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks. * He combed his hair into a peak. 4 (BrE) (AmE bill, visor) the stiff front part of a cap that sticks out above your eyes verb [V] to reach the highest point or value: Oil production peaked in the early 1980s. * Unemployment peaked at 17%. * an athlete who peaks (= produces his or her best performance) at just the right time adjective [onlybeforenoun] used to describe the highest level of sth, or a time when the greatest number of people are doing sth or using sth: It was a time of peak demand for the product. * March is one of the peak periods for our business. * The athletes are all in peak condition. * We need extra help during the peak summer season. * (BrE) peak viewing time (= when the greatest number of people are watching television) * (BrE) peak rate telephone calls (= made during the busiest period and charged at the highest rate) compareOFF-PEAK