▪ I. squeak, n.
(skwiːk)
Also 8 squeek.
[f. the vb.]
1. The act of squeaking. † to put to the squeak, to cause to squeak.
| 1664 G. Etherege Comical Revenge iv. iii, (The women shriek within.) Hark! he puts them to the squeak. a 1700 Songs Lond. Prentices (Mackay) 92 They took my py-ball'd mare And put the carrion wench to th' squeak. |
2. a. A short or slight sound, of a thin high-pitched character, made by animals or persons. Also fig. in neg. contexts (colloq.): cf. peep n.1 2 d.
| 1700 Dryden Fables, Cock & Fox 732 With many a deadly Grunt and doleful Squeak, Poor Swine, as if their pretty Hearts would break. 1710 Steele Tatler No. 157 ¶7 With a great many skittish notes, affected squeaks, and studied inconsistencies. 1775 F. Burney Early Diary 14 Dec., We asked if he had been to the Opera? He immediately began a squeak, by way of imitation. 1827 Scott Jrnl. 17 April, Our party was enlivened by the squeaks of the wenches. 1866 R. M. Ballantyne Shifting Winds xxx. (1881) 342 The squeak of the pig caused the rest of the family to turn and fly from the fatal spot. |
| fig. 1847 L. Hunt Men, Women, & B. II. x. 252 There is something in the..frivolous and fragile celibacy of his life, which..gives a peculiarly revolting character to the perpetual squeak of his censoriousness. 1977 Spare Rib July 10/1 We've hardly heard a squeak out of them since. 1982 S. Brett Murder Unprompted iv. 41 ‘I'm surprised you haven't heard anything about it... You sure you haven't heard anything?’ ‘Not a squeak.’ |
b. A thin, sharp sound produced by a musical instrument, etc.
| 1805 H. K. White Lett. (1837) 276 The vile squeak of the Italian fiddle. 1832 Brewster Nat. Magic ix. 229 Vibrations of such frequency afford only a shrill squeak or chirp. 1883 J. Gilmour Mongols xxvi. 309 Shrill above the boom of the temple drums..would come the squeak of the thlimba. |
3. a. A slight, narrow, or bare chance for something.
| 1716 M. Davies Athen. Brit. II. 303 If we have success, you shall.., perchance, have a squeek for the renewing a great part, at least, of your old Hereditary Lease. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 104 To caution my Readers, that they do not too hastily condemn what I advance, but to give me a Squeak for my Life (as the Saying is). 1806 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life xvi. Introd., I will give you—though I'm a fool for my pains—however I will give you one squeak more for your inheritance. 1868 Chambers's Jrnl. Oct. 675/2 See all ready with the boat,..it may give us a squeak for our lives, if a little one. |
b. A narrow escape, a close shave. Usually with qualifying adjs. narrow, near, tight. Also const. for (one's life, etc.).
| 1822 Scott Fam. Lett. (1894) II. xviii. 149, I became extremely feverish myself, and had the disorder not terminated in a general rash..I should have had a squeak for it. 1833 M. Scott Tom Cringle xii, I have had more than one narrow squeak for it. a 1860 Alb. Smith Med. Student (1861) 98, I had a tight squeak for it. 1867 Trollope Chron. Barset II. 339 ‘It was a very narrow squeak,’ Mr. Crawley said when he friend congratulated him on his escape. 1880 Mrs. H. Wood in Argosy XXIX. 191 At the last moment, when the ship was getting away, and I had given the captain up, he came on board... ‘I've had a squeak for it, Johnny,’ he laughed, as he shook my hand. 1889 Stevenson Lett. (1899) II. 136 We had a near squeak, the wind suddenly coming calm. 1939 A. Ransome Secret Water x. 121 You oughtn't to have waited. It's going to be a squeak getting home across the Wade. |
4. † a. Cant. (See quot.) Obs.
| 1795 Potter Dict. Cant (ed. 2), Squeak, a thief, who when taken up confesses and impeaches the rest of his companions. |
b. A piece of incriminating information offered to the police; to put in the (or a) squeak: to turn informer, to inform against.
| 1922 [see flatty2 3]. 1936 J. Curtis Gilt Kid ii. 22 You'll..turn grass and put in the bleeding squeak against me. 1955 D. Webb Deadline for Crime i. 14 Then the squeak goes in. A bent buyer grasses to the law. 1973 A. Hunter Gently French iv. 33, I can see another villain putting a squeak in but knocking off Freddy would be just stupid. |
5. attrib. as adj. Squeaky.
| 1818 Moore Mem. (1853) II. 167 The Duke said, in his high, squeak tone of voice [etc.]. |
▪ II. squeak, v.
(skwiːk)
Also 4–6 squeke, 6–7 squeake, 7 sqweake, 7–8 squeek; 6–7 squake.
[Imitative. Cf. Sw. sqväka to croak.]
1. intr. To emit a short or slight sound of a thin high-pitched character: a. Of persons.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 117 It byfel..þat a duke..passynge þerby herde þe childe squeke. 1604 Shakes. Ham. i. i. 116 (Q.2), The sheeted dead Did squeake and gibber in the Roman streets. 1634–5 Brereton Trav. (Chetham Soc.) 6 Others..sung, screaming, and squeaking, and straining their voices. 1675 Hobbes Odyssey (1677) 219 Ulysses Irus struck just under th' ear:..He fell, squeakt, shed his teeth. 1733 Pope Donne's 4th Sat. 99 He lifts his hands and eyes, Squeaks like a high-stretch'd lutestring, and replies. 1831 E. J. Trelawny Adv. Younger Son I. 240 He never squeaked, or made a wry face. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 28 Aug. 3/1 There are also English girls who croak and squeak and chirp. |
b. Of animals or birds.
| 1547 J. Harrison Exhort. Scottes e viij, His aucthor is bewraied, as a Ratte is by squekyng. 1576 Gascoigne Steele Gl. Wks. 1910 II. 147 Since every janglyng byrd, Which squeaketh loude, shall never triumph so. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 213 Bats..sqweake and call one the other. 1663 Butler Hud. i. i. 52 Beside, 'tis known he could speak Greek, As naturally as Pigs squeek. 1693 Dryden Persius i. Prol., Pies, Crows, and Daws, Poetick Presents bring: You say they squeak; but they will swear they Sing. 1774 G. White Selborne lxi, Several [swifts]..squeaking as they go in a very clamorous manner. 1823 Scott Quentin D. iv, They loved better to hear the lark sing than the mouse squeak. 1848 Dickens Dombey xxiii, Rats began to squeak and scuffle in the night time. |
c. Of things.
| 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. v. Wks. 1856 I. 59 My voice squeakes like a dry cork shoe. c 1628 Donne Serm. 576 As a Cart that hath a plentifull load Squeaks and Whines the more for that Abundance. 1740 Somerville Hobbinolia i. 323 Shrill Fiddles squeak, Hoarse Bag-pipes roar. 1798 Ferriar Eng. Historians 228 Till each attendant bagpipe squeak'd for fear. 1847 Halliw., Squeak, to creak, as a door, &c. 1876 ‘L. Carroll’ Hunting the Snark v. vii, The sound so exactly recalled to his mind A pencil that squeaks on a slate! 1892 Greener Breech Loader 49 In cocking the locks, one will ‘squeak’, the other will make no sound. |
2. slang. To confess; to turn informer; to ‘split’ or ‘peach’. (Cf. squeal v. 3.)
| 1690 Dryden Don Sebastian iv. i, If he be obstinate, put a civil Question to him upon the Rack, and he squeaks I warrant him. a 1734 North Examen i. iii. (1740) 218 In continual Expectation that..some pusillanimous Wretch..would squeak, as they called it, and own the Guilt. 1757 Foote Author i, Don't be afraid; I'll keep council;..when I was in the treasonable way, I never squeak'd. 1805 European Mag. XLVII. 122 Unless he had been allowed to squeak, i.e. turn evidence, it had been impossible to take his deposition. 1816 Sporting Mag. XLVIII. 30 Greenaway..confessed to him..that if any one squeaked he should be hanged. 1834 Ainsworth Rookwood iii. v, Never blow the gab, or squeak. 1874 Slang Dict. 307 Squeak on a person, to inform against, to peach. |
3. a. trans. To utter, sing, or play in a squeaking manner or with a squeaky voice. Usu. derisively. Freq. with out.
| 1577 tr. Bullinger's Decades (1592) 241 For laughter is blame-worthy, if it be..childishly squeaked. 1592 Nashe P. Penilesse Wks. (Grosart) II. 108 The light vnconstaunt Multitude, that will..prefer a blinde harper that can squeake out a new horne-pipe. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. ii. iii. 97 Ye squeak out your Coziers Catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice. 1687 Miége Gt. Fr. Dict. ii, To squeak out a sermon. 1700 Congreve Way of World v. v, Prophane Musick-meetings where the lewd Trebles squeek nothing but Bawdy, and the Bases roar Blasphemy. 1778 F. Burney Evelina xxi, One of these outlandish gentry may..come on, and squeak out a song or two, and then pocket your money without further ceremony. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop xix, Fiddles..were squeaking out the tune to staggering feet. |
b. With clause as object. Also with out.
| 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. iv. 54 (Q.), He squakd out alowd, Clarence is come. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth vii, ‘The Provost being himself a nobleman—’ squeaked the Pottingar. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair lxvi, ‘I will not hear it, I say,’ squeaked out Jos at the top of his voice. |
† c. to squeak beef: (see quot.). Obs.
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, They Squeek beef upon us, cry out Highway-men or Thieves after us. |
4. a. To make (way) with squeaking.
| 1878 Mrs. Stowe Poganuc People ix, The roads, through which the ox-sleds of the farmers crunched and squeaked their way. |
b. To cause (something) to squeak.
| 1913 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. ii. xv. 401 Michael solemnly regarded the fair-haired boy of two who was squeaking an indiarubber horse. 1977 ‘J. Gash’ Judas Pair xv. 177 Could he see the curtain? I'd moved it without squeaking its noisy runners. |
5. intr. a. to squeak through: to get through by a narrow shave, to scrape through.
| 1938 H. Nicolson Diary 1 Sept. (1966) 358 We may just squeak through. On the other hand, we may get into the same mess as in 1914. 1943 Sun (Baltimore) 22 Nov. 14/2 The Irish squeaked through to a 14-to-13 verdict over Iowa Pre-Flight. 1971 J. Bishop Days of Martin Luther King, Jr. iv. 329 The President..said he was not optimistic about the passage of the civil rights bill. It would require strong bipartisan support to squeak through. 1977 Time 7 Mar. 24/2 Rabin only squeaked through by sweeping the votes allotted to Israel's conservative kibbutzim. |
b. With preps.: to make one's way by a narrow shave, to scrape by, into, etc. Chiefly U.S.
| a 1961 H. H. Martin in Webster s.v., By six months of hard cramming..he squeaked by the finals. 1966 Economist 27 Aug. 810/3 His Progressive Conservatives squeaked back into power with only 39 per cent of the votes. 1968 Ibid. 20 Apr. 20/3 The Bill squeaked out of the Rules Committee on a single vote. 1974 Union (S. Carolina) Daily Times 24 Apr. 1/4 Texaco..squeaked by Mobil last year to become the country's second biggest oil firm. 1977 Monitor (McAllen, Texas) 26 June 1b/5 Jimmy Connors squeaked past a valiant Stan Smith in five sets. |