Describing a method of typing used by a person unfamiliar with the layout of a keyboard or keypad in which the person has to search for the keys to be pressed or struck one by one and uses one or both index fingers to operate the keys; also used to describe a typist who uses this technique.
Used in a Sentence
hunt-and-peck
Definition, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for hunt-and-peck.
Editorial note
People who hunt-and-peck, on the other hand, seem to appreciate the spatial locality of the numberpad.
Examples13
Definitions1
Parts of speech1
Quick take
Describing a method of typing used by a person unfamiliar with the layout of a keyboard or keypad in which the person has to search for the keys to be pressed or struck one by one and uses one or both index fingers to operate the keys; also used to describe a typist who uses this technique.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of hunt-and-peck gathered in one view.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for hunt-and-peck.
adjective
Describing a method of typing used by a person unfamiliar with the layout of a keyboard or keypad in which the person has to search for the keys to be pressed or struck one by one and uses one or both index fingers to operate the keys; also used to describe a typist who uses this technique.
Example sentences
People who hunt-and-peck, on the other hand, seem to appreciate the spatial locality of the numberpad.
If hunt-and-peck leaves you typing slower than you can design software solutions in your head then find a more challenging job.
A handful try to hunt-and-peck before giving up and making me do it.
The one time I had a physician take my blood pressure, he was like a 150WPM typist compared to the hunt-and-peck crowd.
Had I just been left to my own devices to hunt-and-peck my way around, I doubt I'd be anywhere near that speed.
It was painstaking at first, hunt-and-peck, particularly since I didn't have an actual labeled keyboard (I'd made a printout of the Dvorak layout instead).
@danbruc, to supplement and extend pgt's response: I'm a touch-typist, and when on some rare occasions I have to hunt-and-peck while programming (e.g.
When I realized I was still hunt-and-peck typing at a point where it was a little bit embarrassing as well as being a hindrance to my daily activities, I just stopped looking at the keyboard.
Some people manage to move on to proper touch-type on a keyboard layout they learnt by hunt-and-peck, but others don't, and the level of comfort achieved by not looking at the keyboard at all is really, really worth it.
Quote examples
Take your two index fingers and try coding with the "hunt-and-peck" method, and see how it doesn't limit your thought process.
As Jeff Atwood says, "When was the last time you saw a hunt-and-peck pianist?" [2] [1] This is of course not an original thought.
Had I just been left to my own devices to hunt-and-peck my way around" I learned on a manual as well.
It takes a 3-minute process (laboriously hunt-and-peck your name, email address, password, and mail server settings) into a 15-minute process as it repeatedly "helpfully" tries things that you know are going to fail, but can't interrupt and can't cancel.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use hunt-and-peck in a sentence?
People who hunt-and-peck, on the other hand, seem to appreciate the spatial locality of the numberpad.
What does hunt-and-peck mean?
Describing a method of typing used by a person unfamiliar with the layout of a keyboard or keypad in which the person has to search for the keys to be pressed or struck one by one and uses one or both index fingers to operate the keys; also used to describe a typist who uses this technique.
What part of speech is hunt-and-peck?
hunt-and-peck is commonly used as adjective.