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beccare

to peck

verb bek-KAH-reh Rare
Animals & Nature Birds

Origin: From becco (beak), of Gaulish origin.

Also means

to catch

Usage Note

Beccare literally means for a bird to peck with its beak. Colloquially it means to catch or nab someone (l'hanno beccato a rubare = 'they caught him stealing'), and in informal use beccarsi (reflexive) can mean 'to pick up' an illness (mi sono beccato un raffreddore = 'I caught a cold').

Examples

"Il piccione becca i chicchi sul marciapiede."

Natural Translation

The pigeon pecks at the seeds on the sidewalk.

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