▪ I. creak, v.
(kriːk)
Forms: 4–6 creke, 5–6 kreke, 6 (crik), 6–7 creake, 7 creeke, 7–9 creek, 7– creak.
[App. echoic; cf. crake, and croak. The ME. pronunciation would be (krɛːk) and that of the 16th c. (kreːk): the application of the verb has prob. been modified as the vowel-sound became narrowed.]
I. † 1. intr. Formerly: To utter a harsh cry: said of crows, rooks, etc., where croak is now used; also of geese, etc. Obs.
| c 1325 Gloss. W. de Biblesworth in Wright Voc. 152 Le bouf mugist (lowes), la grwe growle (crane lounet, Camb. MS. crekes.). 1482 Caxton Trevisa's Higden vi. xxv. 317 A crowe that she hadde norysshed creked ludder than he was wonte. 1567 Drant Horace's Epist. xvii. F iij, If that the Crow could feede in whishte, not creake nor make adoe. 1580 Baret Alv. G 9 To Gagle, or creake like a goose, glacito. 1604 Fr. Bacon's Proph. 50 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 270 The Henne, the Goose, the Ducke, Might cackle, creake, and quacke. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 304 The Raven or Crow Creeking clear..signifies fair weather. |
2. a. intr. To make a harsh shrill grating sound, as a hinge or axle turning with undue friction, or a hard tough substance under pressure or strain. Also fig.
| 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis i. (Arb.) 32 And gates with the metal dooe creake in shrilbated harshing. 1615 J. Stephens Satyr. Ess. (ed. 2) 37 The Chariot driver ask'd his wheele Wherfore it creak'd? 1692 Washington tr. Milton's Def. Pop. Pref. (1851) 6 The Door creaks; The Actor comes upon the Stage. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 35 b, That is..best which being rubb'd with the Hand creeks the most. 1794 Wordsw. Guilt & Sorrow, No swinging sign-board creaked from cottage elm. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop vi, How that door creaks! 1875 M{supc}Laren Serm. 2nd Ser. vii. 121 The swaying branches creak and groan. a 1893 Mod. New shoes are apt to creak. 1938 F. Scott Fitzgerald Let. 20 Jan. (1964) 564 The last pages..begin to creak from 116 on. 1962 Listener 15 Nov. 796/2 The Civil Service is already needing reform, and some people have said that even the limited extra responsibility..may make it creak. |
b. transf. Said of the strident noise of crickets, grasshoppers, etc.
| 1653 [see creaking vbl. n.]. 1878 Browning La Saisiaz 54 Where crickets creak. |
c. To move with creaking.
| 1834 Medwin Angler in Wales I. 57 With a long, indented bone..he..creaks along the gunnel of the boat. 1868 Whittier Among the Hills Prel. 13 A single hay-cart down the dusty road Creaks slowly. |
3. intr. To speak in a strident or querulous tone. (Used in contempt.) Obs.
In early use allied to 1; in more recent use to 2.
| c 1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Kath. ii. 1006 Ye may weel karpe, stryue, clatere, and creke. Ibid. iv. 453 Lete hem calle, lady, lete hem crye and creke [rime break], Suffyseth you if ye may leue in pees. 1566 Drant Horace's Sat. v. C viij, I mayntaynde it with toothe and nayle, in all that I coulde creake. 1596 P. Colse Penelope (1880) 181 Against me dare they not to creake [rime quake]. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xxvii. xi. 321 To creake and vaunt in a loftie tragicall note. 1614 B. Jonson Barth. Fair v. iii, Nor..[bear me down] with his treble creeking, though he creek like the chariot wheels of Satan. 1661 P. Baillie Lauderd. Papers (1886) I. 96, I am ane ill beggar, yit I must still creak to your l[ordship] for yon presbiterians. |
4. trans. To cause to make a creaking noise.
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well ii. i. 31 Creeking my shooes on the plaine Masonry. 1824 W. Irving T. Trav. I. 24 The wind would..creak the door to and fro. |
II. Phraseological uses of the verb-stem.
† 5. to cry creak: to confess oneself beaten or in error; to give up the contest; to give in. Obs. (Cf. to cry craven, cry creant.)
| 1537 Thersites in Hazl. Dodsley I. 399, I would make the knaves to cry crik. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 102 When tilth plows breake, poore cattle cries creake. 1577 Stanyhurst Descr. Irel. in Holinshed VI. 52 When the prefixed daie [for the combat] approched neere, Vescie..began to crie creake, and secretlie sailed into France. 1582 T. Watson Centurie of Loue i. (Arb.) 37, I now cry creake that ere I scorned loue. 1609 Bp. W. Barlow Answ. Nameless Cath. 164 This Crauen Cocke, after..crowing a Conquest, being ready presently to Cry Creake. |
6. With go, in sense: With a creak, with a creaking noise. (Cf. bang, bump, crack, etc.)
| 1848 Mrs. Gaskell Mary Barton xvii. (1882) 44/1 Creak, creak, went the stairs. Her father was coming down. |
▪ II. creak, n.
(kriːk)
[f. creak v.]
1. A strident noise, as of an ungreased hinge, new boots, etc.; a harsh squeak.
| 1605 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iii. Lawe 1336 A wagging leaf, a puff, a crack, Yea, the least creak, shall make thee turn thy back. 1832 H. Martineau Hill & Valley iii. 46 Roused by a creak and screech of the latticed window. 1851 Thackeray Eng. Hum. (1876) 147 If he wears buckles and square-toed shoes..you never hear their creak. 1878 Masque Poets 53 The labouring vessel, with creak and strain, Struggled and groaned like a thing in pain. |
b. The noise made by a cricket. rare.
| 1842 Thoreau Excursions (1863) 40 Cheery as the creak of crickets. |
† 2. A watchman's rattle. Obs.
| 1836 Ann. Reg. 46 He heard Dillon springing his creak. |
▪ III. creak
var. crick n.1; obs. f. creek.