▪ I. screak, n. Now chiefly dial.
(skriːk)
For forms see the vb.
[f. screak v.]
1. A shrill cry; a shrill grating sound.
| 1513 Douglas æneis ii. xii. 14 The ȝing childring, and frayit matrounis eik, Stude all on raw, with mony peteous screik. Ibid. iv. viii. 111 And oft with wild skrek the nycht oule, Heich on the ruif, allane, was hard ȝoule. 1614 H. A. Scourge of Venus (1876) 30 What may these scremes & dolefull scriks portend. a 1710 G. Bull Serm. xx. (1713) III. 801 Others peep forth into the Light, as it were only to see it, and having, by a Skreek or two given Testimony to the Misery of this Life, presently die and vanish. 1727 Philip Quarll 87 His Landlady gave a Screek as if she had seen the Devil. 1768 Pennant Brit. Zool. I. 223 Their note of anger or fear is very harsh, between a chatter and a skreek. 1799 Southey Eng. Ecl., Dancing Bear 3, I would rather hear cat-courtship Under my bed-room window in the night, Than this scraped catgut's screak. 1819 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd (1827) 34 And siccan hidyous yells and shrieks!—A' the warld soundit wi' their skrieks! 1894 Tablet 8 Sept. 362 The old flagellants..whipped themselves to the screak of the fife and the roll of the drum. |
b. in a screek, ? crying out with pain.
| 1681 O. Heywood Diaries (1885) IV. 81 Very sick, much pained, had been in a screek most part of the night. |
2. A name for some species of shrike.
| 1802 Montagu Ornith. s.v. Shrike, Murdering-bird. Skreek, or Skrike. Night-jar. |
3. screak of day, daybreak (dial.: see E.D.D.). Cf. skreigh, skrike, creek n.2, creking.
| 1768 Ross Helenore (1789) 51 Ilka morning by the screak o' day, They're set to wark. 1830 Carleton Traits (1843) I. 60 That morning we were all up at the skriek of day. |
▪ II. screak, v. Now chiefly dial.
(skriːk)
Forms: α. 5–6 screke, 6 skrek(e, screake, Sc. screik, 6–7 screeke, skreeke, 6–8 screek, scriek, 6–9 skreak, skreek, skriek, 7–8 screeck, 6– screak. β. 6 skrick(e, pa. pple. skrigd, 7 scrick(e, scrik. See also skrike.
[a. ON. skrǽkja, prob. echoic; cf. screech, shriek vbs. In dialects there are parallel forms with other vowels, symbolizing different varieties of sound, as scraik, scrawk, scroke.]
1. intr. To utter a shrill harsh cry; to screech or scream. Also with out.
| ? a 1500 Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.) II. 37 (Passion), Though he sore skricke, A buffitte shall bytte. 1567 Drant Horace, Ep., A.P. B iiij, They all would screeke vnto the skye and laughe at hym aloude. 1605 R. Armin Foole upon F. (1880) 14 The cracke made them all screeke out. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xiv. x. 25 Dreadfull spectres and fansies skreaking hideously round about him. a 1670 Hacket Cent. Serm. (1675) 588 The Impenitent shall howl, the Unjust skreek out. 1707 tr. Wks. C'tess D'Anois (1715) 374 She skreem'd, she skreek'd, she baul'd, she yaul'd. 1722 De Foe Plague (1884) 78 Her Mother..scriekt out. 1787 Minor ii. x. 98 The situation made the servant screak. |
b. of certain animals.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 513 When mice cry and screeketh aboue their ordinary custome, it presageth an alteration and change of the Weather. 1614 H. A. Scourge of Venus (1876) 30 To heare the night-crowes scrik, and goblins play. 1863 Kingsley Water-Bab. 32 The very magpies and jays followed Tom up, screaking and screaming. |
c. Of things such as an ungreased hinge or axle: To make a shrill grating sound. Cf. creak v.
| 1565 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Strideo, Tibia stridebat cantu, screaked. 1609 Bible (Douay) Amos ii. 13 Behold I wil screak under you, as a wayne screaketh loden with hay [Vulg. stridebo..stridet]. 1676 Hobbes Iliad xvi. (1677) 247 The yoke screeks [xvi. 470 κρίκε δὲ ζυγόν]. 1715 tr. Pancirollus' Rerum Mem. I. iv. xvii. 222 They oil'd the Hinges of the Door, least they should screak and make a Noise. 1731 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Vitis, Especially when the Screw is perceiv'd to be rough, or screaks in the Nut when the Trendle is turn'd. 1843 Dickens Christmas Carol iv. 130 Stop till I shut the door of the shop. Ah! How it skreeks? 1904 Westm. Gaz. 14 July 2/3 The noise that the slate pencil can make in the hands of a child..can only be rendered by a word which is onomatopœic if not correct—‘screak’. |
2. trans. To cry out or utter with a screak.
| 1569 W. Hubbard Ceyx & Alc. A vij, She screeketh out, why doest thou flie and leaue me alone. 1598 Queen Elizabeth Plutarch xiv. 19 Whan..old man had skrigd out, ‘O worthi me whom nide to spike constrains. |