squeak
Americannoun
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a short, sharp, shrill cry; a sharp, high-pitched sound.
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Informal. opportunity; chance.
their last squeak to correct the manuscript.
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an escape from defeat, danger, death, or destruction (usually qualified by narrow orclose ).
verb (used without object)
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to utter or emit a squeak or squeaky sound.
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Slang. to confess or turn informer; squeal.
verb (used with object)
verb phrase
noun
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a short shrill cry or high-pitched sound
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informal an escape (esp in the phrases narrow squeak , near squeak )
verb
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to make or cause to make a squeak
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(intr; usually foll by through or by) to pass with only a narrow margin
to squeak through an examination
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informal (intr) to confess information about oneself or another
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(tr) to utter with a squeak
Other Word Forms
- squeaker noun
- squeakily adverb
- squeakiness noun
- squeakingly adverb
- squeaky adjective
Etymology
Origin of squeak
1350–1400; Middle English squeken, perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Swedish skväka to croak
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His mom took him there to feed him, and sometimes he got so interested in listening to the squeak of the chair and looking at the pictures on the walls that he forgot to eat.
From Literature
Though he was eager to examine the sphere and the paper the old man had given him, a chorus of eager squeaks told Jeremy that his animals wanted to be fed.
From Literature
As I lay back on my leafy bed, I heard the squeak of bats flying overhead.
From Literature
“Later,” I manage to squeak, and I make a run for it.
From Literature
The same day, the S&P 500 squeaked by with a 24.74-point, or almost 0.4%, gain that sent it to 6,796.29, for its best daily performance in a week.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
