Adjacent Words

Squeak definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SQUEAK, v.t. [G., to squeak. This word probably belongs to the family of quack.]
1. To utter a sharp shrill cry, usually of short duration; to cry with an acute tone, as an animal; or to make a sharp noise, as a pipe or quill, a wheel, a door and the like. Wheels squeak only when the axle tree is dry.
Who can endure to hear one of the rough old Romans, squeaking through the mouth of an eunuch?
Zoilus calls the companions of Ulysses, the squeaking pigs of Homer.
2. To break silence or secrecy for fear or pain; to speak.
SQUEAK, n. A sharp shrill sound suddenly uttered, either of the human voice or of any animal or instrument, such as a child utters in acute pain, or as pigs utter, or as is made by carriage wheels when dry, or by a pipe or reed.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a short high-pitched noise; "the squeak of shoes on powdery snow"
2: something achieved (or escaped) by a narrow margin [syn: close call, close shave, squeak, squeaker, narrow escape] v
1: make a high-pitched, screeching noise; "The door creaked when I opened it slowly"; "My car engine makes a whining noise" [syn: whine, squeak, screech, creak, screak, skreak]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English squeken, of imitative origin Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to utter or make a short shrill cry or noise 2. squeal 2a 3. to pass, succeed, or win by a narrow margin <just squeaked by in the election> transitive verb to utter in a shrill piping tone II. noun Date: 1700 1. a sharp shrill cry or sound 2. escape <a close squeak> • squeaky adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a a short shrill cry as of a mouse. b a slight high-pitched sound as of an unoiled hinge. 2 (also narrow squeak) a narrow escape, a success barely attained. --v. 1 intr. make a squeak. 2 tr. utter (words) shrilly. 3 intr. (foll. by by, through) colloq. pass narrowly. 4 intr. sl. turn informer. Etymology: ME, imit.: cf. SQUEAL, SHRIEK, and Sw. skv{auml}ka croak

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Squeak Squeak, v. i. [imp.& p. p. Squaked; p. pr. & vb. n. Squeaking.] [Probably of imitative origin; cf. Sw. sqv["a]ka to croak, Icel. skvakka to give a sound as of water shaken in a bottle.] 1. To utter a sharp, shrill cry, usually of short duration; to cry with an acute tone, as an animal; or, to make a sharp, disagreeable noise, as a pipe or quill, a wagon wheel, a door; to creak. Who can endure to hear one of the rough old Romans squeaking through the mouth of an eunuch? --Addison. Zoilus calls the companions of Ulysses the ``squeaking pigs'' of Homer. --Pope. 2. To break silence or secrecy for fear of pain or punishment; to speak; to confess. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Squeak Squeak, n. A sharp, shrill, disagreeable sound suddenly utered, either of the human voice or of any animal or instrument, such as is made by carriage wheels when dry, by the soles of leather shoes, or by a pipe or reed.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(squeaks, squeaking, squeaked) 1. If something or someone squeaks, they make a short, high-pitched sound. My boots squeaked a little as I walked... The door squeaked open... She squeaked with delight. VERB: V, V adj, V with n • Squeak is also a noun. He gave an outraged squeak. N-COUNT 2. To squeak through or squeak by means to only just manage to get accepted, get included in something, or win something. The President's economic package squeaked through the House of Representatives by 219 votes to 213... VERB: V prep/adv 3. see also bubble and squeak

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A narrow escape, a chance: he had a squeak for his life. To squeak; to confess, peach, or turn stag. They squeak beef upon us; they cry out thieves after us. Cant.

Moby Thesaurus

bark, bawl, bay, bell, bellow, blare, blat, blate, bleat, bray, break, call, caterwaul, change, creak, cry, give tongue, give voice, grate, howl, keen, look-in, low, meow, mew, mewl, miaow, moo, nark, neigh, nicker, occasion, opening, peach, pimp, pipe, pule, rat, roar, screak, scream, screech, shot, show, shriek, shrill, sing, skirl, skreigh, snitch, squall, squawk, squeal, stool, time, troat, ululate, ululation, wail, whicker, whine, whinny, whistle, wrawl, yammer, yap, yawl, yawp, yelp, yip, yowl