Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To give forth a loud shrill cry or sound.
  • intransitive verb Slang To turn informer; betray an accomplice or secret.
  • intransitive verb To utter or produce with a squeal.
  • noun A loud, shrill cry or sound.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Infirm; weak.
  • To utter a sharp, shrill cry, or a succession of such cries, as expressive of pain, fear, anger, impatience, eagerness, or the like.
  • To turn informer; peach; “squeak.”
  • noun A shrill, sharp cry, more or less prolonged.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To cry with a sharp, shrill, prolonged sound, as certain animals do, indicating want, displeasure, or pain.
  • intransitive verb Slang To turn informer; to betray a secret.
  • noun A shrill, sharp, somewhat prolonged cry.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A high-pitched sound, as a scream of a child, or noisy worn-down brake pads.
  • verb To scream by making a shrill, prolonged sound.
  • verb To give sensitive information about someone to a third party; to rat on someone.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs
  • noun a high-pitched howl
  • verb confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English squelen, probably of imitative origin.]

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Examples

  • The old saying that you can eat every part of the pig but the squeal is especially true in Mexican cuisine.

    A Guide to Mexican Butcher Shops Part II: Pork and Lamb 2008

  • The old saying that you can eat every part of the pig but the squeal is especially true in Mexican cuisine.

    A Guide to Mexican Butcher Shops Part II: Pork and Lamb 2008

  • The old saying that you can eat every part of the pig but the squeal is especially true in Mexican cuisine.

    A Guide to Mexican Butcher Shops Part II: Pork and Lamb 2008

  • The fanboy squeal is high and screechy, like rusty nailtips raked across a blackboard, but it always says the same thing.

    The Rainbow Coalition: Active socratic 2004

  • There came a sort of squeal from the corner of the room.

    The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children 1883

  • "But I'm not going to 'squeal' -- isn't that what they call it when you rail at Fortune because you've, lost the game?"

    Whirligigs O. Henry 1886

  • At the sight of the packages Philonecron let out what can only be called a squeal—as if he were a young girl on Christmas morning rushing to the tree to find a golden-haired puppy while a hush of snow fell over the world.

    The Shadow Thieves Anne Ursu 2006

  • At the sight of the packages Philonecron let out what can only be called a squeal—as if he were a young girl on Christmas morning rushing to the tree to find a golden-haired puppy while a hush of snow fell over the world.

    The Shadow Thieves Anne Ursu 2006

  • At the sight of the packages Philonecron let out what can only be called a squeal—as if he were a young girl on Christmas morning rushing to the tree to find a golden-haired puppy while a hush of snow fell over the world.

    The Shadow Thieves Anne Ursu 2006

  • At the sight of the packages Philonecron let out what can only be called a squeal—as if he were a young girl on Christmas morning rushing to the tree to find a golden-haired puppy while a hush of snow fell over the world.

    The Shadow Thieves Anne Ursu 2006

Comments

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  • Squid wheel.

    March 14, 2008

  • high pitch crying

    May 16, 2009

  • I think of a pig when I read this.

    March 30, 2010