squeal
/skwil/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.83 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A high-pitched sound, such as the scream of a child or a female person, or noisy worn-down brake pads.
verb
To give sensitive information about someone to a third party; to rat on someone.
Intransitive verb; Slang
Example Sentences
- "The children squealed with delight while opening their Christmas presents."
- "The brakes squeal terribly."
- "We continue through suburban Newcastle along the edge of the Tyne, before squealing around the tight curves onto the magnificent High Level bridge, which affords glorious views across Newcastle and along the river before arriving at journey's end."
- "You'd better not squeal on me to the cops."
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English squelen, probably from Old Norse skvala (“to squeal, bawl”), from Proto-Germanic *skwel- (“to chatter, babble, scream”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *skel-, from *kelh₁- (“to ring, resound, cry”). Compare Old Norse skval (“a squeal”, noun), Swedish skvallra (“to babble, chatter, tell on”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /skwil/
- British English: /skwiːl/