Also 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. Shaks., 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. 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, Hobbinol, 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. trans. To utter, sing or play in a squeaking manner or with a squeaky voice. Usu. derisively. Freq. with out.
1577. trans. 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. Shaks., 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. Miss 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. Shaks., 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. 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.
