Perhaps he struggled to find a cave or was distracted by the scent of honey or wasn’t quite ready to hibernate for the winter. This bear, who has picked a particular mountain because it piqued his interest, might very well climb to its peak. “Peak,” like “pique,” has numerous definitions both as a noun and verb but often is associated with mountain “peaks” that is, the top of the mountains. The mountain excites him for some reason or another, so off he goes to explore it. The verb form of the word somewhat follows the noun’s definition it can mean “to arouse anger or resentment.” The more common use of the word lies in its second definition, which is “to excite or arouse by a provocation, rebuff, or challenge.” A bear, in his quest to find a cave, might “pick” a mountain that “piques” his interest. As a noun, the word means “a transient feeling of wounded vanity” or “a fit of resentment.” It also can refer to a type of clothing fabric, but the word usually has an accent mark on the “e,” helping to demarcate the difference. “Pique” actually has a number of definitions, mostly due to its ability to be used as either a noun or verb. He might pick a certain part of the stream because he’s certain to catch a fine fish. He might pick a certain tree for scratching his claws. A bear, for instance, might pick a certain cave for his hibernation. Words are added or subtracted because of need or creative direction.

I’ve added “pick” both because of its similarity in sound to the other three words and because I need the word to make this post work. A reader asked on “ Write Right: Complement versus Compliment” that I talk about pique, peek, and peak.

Peek to peak