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 (krēk) and that of the 16th c. (krēk): 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. 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.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 32. And gates with the metal dooe creake in shrilbated harshing.
1615. J. Stephens, Satyr. Ess. iiii. (ed. 2), 37.
| The Chariot-driuer ask’d his wheele | |
| Wherfore it creak’d? |
1692. Washington, trans. 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. McLaren, Serm., and Ser. vii. 121. The swaying branches creak and groan.
Mod. New shoes are apt to creak.
b. transf. Said of the strident noise of crickets, grasshoppers, etc.
1653. [see CREAKING vbl. sb.].
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. 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 [rhyme 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. Colse, Penelope (1880), 181. Against me dare they not to creake [rhyme 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. Shaks., 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. His Crauen Cocke, after … crowing a Conquest, being ready presently to Cry Creake.
1848. Mrs. Gaskell, M. Barton, xvii. (1882), 44/1. Creak, creak, went the stairs. Her father was coming down.
