Word of the Day

: June 3, 2021

peach

verb PEECH

What It Means

1 :  to inform against : betray

2 :  to turn informer : blab

peach in Context

"They'll think his lordship, or perhaps his brother, peached on them." — Grace Burrowes, Gabriel: Lord of Regrets, 2013

"Peter cocked his head. 'What are the chances of him finding out who peached him?' 'He will certainly never hear it from me.' She slid her gaze to her coachman. 'Or Gary. As long as you don't say anything, there is no chance.'" — Michelle Diener, The Emperor's Conspiracy, 2012

Did You Know?

If you guessed that the origin of this verb peach has something to do with a slightly fuzzy fruit, you are unfortunately incorrect. The fruit peach is an unrelated word that traces back to the Latin phrase malum persicum, literally meaning "Persian fruit." The verb blossomed from Middle English apechen ("to accuse"), itself an offspring of the Anglo-French verbs apecher and empecher, both meaning "to ensnare." Empecher is also an ancestor of the English verb impeach, meaning "to bring an accusation against." Both of these English verbs can be traced back to Latin impedicare, meaning "to shackle the feet," and that word is itself rooted in ped-, pes, meaning "foot."