| 释义 |
▪ I. squeak, n.|skwiːk|
Also 8 squeek.
[f. the vb.]
1. The act of squeaking. † to put to the squeak, to cause to squeak.
1664G. Etherege Comical Revenge iv. iii, (The women shriek within.) Hark! he puts them to the squeak. a1700Songs Lond. Prentices (Mackay) 92 They took my py-ball'd mare And put the carrion wench to th' squeak.
2. a. A short or slight sound, of a thin high-pitched character, made by animals or persons. Also fig. in neg. contexts (colloq.): cf. peep n.1 2 d.
1700Dryden Fables, Cock & Fox 732 With many a deadly Grunt and doleful Squeak, Poor Swine, as if their pretty Hearts would break. 1710Steele Tatler No. 157 ⁋7 With a great many skittish notes, affected squeaks, and studied inconsistencies. 1775F. Burney Early Diary 14 Dec., We asked if he had been to the Opera? He immediately began a squeak, by way of imitation. 1827Scott Jrnl. 17 April, Our party was enlivened by the squeaks of the wenches. 1866R. M. Ballantyne Shifting Winds xxx. (1881) 342 The squeak of the pig caused the rest of the family to turn and fly from the fatal spot.
fig.1847L. Hunt Men, Women, & B. II. x. 252 There is something in the..frivolous and fragile celibacy of his life, which..gives a peculiarly revolting character to the perpetual squeak of his censoriousness. 1977Spare Rib July 10/1 We've hardly heard a squeak out of them since. 1982S. Brett Murder Unprompted iv. 41 ‘I'm surprised you haven't heard anything about it... You sure you haven't heard anything?’ ‘Not a squeak.’
b. A thin, sharp sound produced by a musical instrument, etc.
1805H. K. White Lett. (1837) 276 The vile squeak of the Italian fiddle. 1832Brewster Nat. Magic ix. 229 Vibrations of such frequency afford only a shrill squeak or chirp. 1883J. Gilmour Mongols xxvi. 309 Shrill above the boom of the temple drums..would come the squeak of the thlimba.
3. a. A slight, narrow, or bare chance for something.
1716M. Davies Athen. Brit. II. 303 If we have success, you shall.., perchance, have a squeek for the renewing a great part, at least, of your old Hereditary Lease. 1737Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 104 To caution my Readers, that they do not too hastily condemn what I advance, but to give me a Squeak for my Life (as the Saying is). 1806J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life xvi. Introd., I will give you—though I'm a fool for my pains—however I will give you one squeak more for your inheritance. 1868Chambers's Jrnl. Oct. 675/2 See all ready with the boat,..it may give us a squeak for our lives, if a little one.
b. A narrow escape, a close shave. Usually with qualifying adjs. narrow, near, tight. Also const. for (one's life, etc.).
1822Scott Fam. Lett. (1894) II. xviii. 149, I became extremely feverish myself, and had the disorder not terminated in a general rash..I should have had a squeak for it. 1833M. Scott Tom Cringle xii, I have had more than one narrow squeak for it. a1860Alb. Smith Med. Student (1861) 98, I had a tight squeak for it. 1867Trollope Chron. Barset II. 339 ‘It was a very narrow squeak,’ Mr. Crawley said when he friend congratulated him on his escape. 1880Mrs. H. Wood in Argosy XXIX. 191 At the last moment, when the ship was getting away, and I had given the captain up, he came on board... ‘I've had a squeak for it, Johnny,’ he laughed, as he shook my hand. 1889Stevenson Lett. (1899) II. 136 We had a near squeak, the wind suddenly coming calm. 1939A. Ransome Secret Water x. 121 You oughtn't to have waited. It's going to be a squeak getting home across the Wade.
4.
†a. Cant. (See quot.) Obs.
1795Potter Dict. Cant (ed. 2), Squeak, a thief, who when taken up confesses and impeaches the rest of his companions.
b. A piece of incriminating information offered to the police; to put in the (or a) squeak: to turn informer, to inform against.
1922[see flatty2 3]. 1936J. Curtis Gilt Kid ii. 22 You'll..turn grass and put in the bleeding squeak against me. 1955D. Webb Deadline for Crime i. 14 Then the squeak goes in. A bent buyer grasses to the law. 1973A. Hunter Gently French iv. 33, I can see another villain putting a squeak in but knocking off Freddy would be just stupid.
5. attrib. as adj. Squeaky.
1818Moore Mem. (1853) II. 167 The Duke said, in his high, squeak tone of voice [etc.].
▪ II. squeak, v.|skwiːk|
Also 4–6 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.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 117 It byfel..þat a duke..passynge þerby herde þe childe squeke. 1604Shakes. Ham. i. i. 116 (Q.2), The sheeted dead Did squeake and gibber in the Roman streets. 1634–5Brereton Trav. (Chetham Soc.) 6 Others..sung, screaming, and squeaking, and straining their voices. 1675Hobbes Odyssey (1677) 219 Ulysses Irus struck just under th' ear:..He fell, squeakt, shed his teeth. 1733Pope Donne's 4th Sat. 99 He lifts his hands and eyes, Squeaks like a high-stretch'd lutestring, and replies. 1831E. J. Trelawny Adv. Younger Son I. 240 He never squeaked, or made a wry face. 1899Westm. Gaz. 28 Aug. 3/1 There are also English girls who croak and squeak and chirp.
b. Of animals or birds.
1547J. Harrison Exhort. Scottes e viij, His aucthor is bewraied, as a Ratte is by squekyng. 1576Gascoigne Steele Gl. Wks. 1910 II. 147 Since every janglyng byrd, Which squeaketh loude, shall never triumph so. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 213 Bats..sqweake and call one the other. 1663Butler Hud. i. i. 52 Beside, 'tis known he could speak Greek, As naturally as Pigs squeek. 1693Dryden Persius i. Prol., Pies, Crows, and Daws, Poetick Presents bring: You say they squeak; but they will swear they Sing. 1774G. White Selborne lxi, Several [swifts]..squeaking as they go in a very clamorous manner. 1823Scott Quentin D. iv, They loved better to hear the lark sing than the mouse squeak. 1848Dickens Dombey xxiii, Rats began to squeak and scuffle in the night time.
c. Of things.
1602Marston Ant. & Mel. v. Wks. 1856 I. 59 My voice squeakes like a dry cork shoe. c1628Donne Serm. 576 As a Cart that hath a plentifull load Squeaks and Whines the more for that Abundance. 1740Somerville Hobbinolia i. 323 Shrill Fiddles squeak, Hoarse Bag-pipes roar. 1798Ferriar Eng. Historians 228 Till each attendant bagpipe squeak'd for fear. 1847Halliw., 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! 1892Greener 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.)
1690Dryden Don Sebastian iv. i, If he be obstinate, put a civil Question to him upon the Rack, and he squeaks I warrant him. a1734North Examen i. iii. (1740) 218 In continual Expectation that..some pusillanimous Wretch..would squeak, as they called it, and own the Guilt. 1757Foote Author i, Don't be afraid; I'll keep council;..when I was in the treasonable way, I never squeak'd. 1805European Mag. XLVII. 122 Unless he had been allowed to squeak, i.e. turn evidence, it had been impossible to take his deposition. 1816Sporting Mag. XLVIII. 30 Greenaway..confessed to him..that if any one squeaked he should be hanged. 1834Ainsworth Rookwood iii. v, Never blow the gab, or squeak. 1874Slang Dict. 307 Squeak on a person, to inform against, to peach.
3. a. trans. To utter, sing, or play in a squeaking manner or with a squeaky voice. Usu. derisively. Freq. with out.
1577tr. Bullinger's Decades (1592) 241 For laughter is blame-worthy, if it be..childishly squeaked. 1592Nashe P. Penilesse Wks. (Grosart) II. 108 The light vnconstaunt Multitude, that will..prefer a blinde harper that can squeake out a new horne-pipe. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. ii. iii. 97 Ye squeak out your Coziers Catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice. 1687Miége Gt. Fr. Dict. ii, To squeak out a sermon. 1700Congreve Way of World v. v, Prophane Musick-meetings where the lewd Trebles squeek nothing but Bawdy, and the Bases roar Blasphemy. 1778F. 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. 1840Dickens Old C. Shop xix, Fiddles..were squeaking out the tune to staggering feet.
b. With clause as object. Also with out.
1594Shakes. Rich. III, i. iv. 54 (Q.), He squakd out alowd, Clarence is come. 1828Scott F.M. Perth vii, ‘The Provost being himself a nobleman—’ squeaked the Pottingar. 1848Thackeray 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.
a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, They Squeek beef upon us, cry out Highway-men or Thieves after us.
4. a. To make (way) with squeaking.
1878Mrs. Stowe Poganuc People ix, The roads, through which the ox-sleds of the farmers crunched and squeaked their way.
b. To cause (something) to squeak.
1913C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. ii. xv. 401 Michael solemnly regarded the fair-haired boy of two who was squeaking an indiarubber horse. 1977‘J. Gash’ Judas Pair xv. 177 Could he see the curtain? I'd moved it without squeaking its noisy runners.
5. intr.
a. to squeak through: to get through by a narrow shave, to scrape through.
1938H. Nicolson Diary 1 Sept. (1966) 358 We may just squeak through. On the other hand, we may get into the same mess as in 1914. 1943Sun (Baltimore) 22 Nov. 14/2 The Irish squeaked through to a 14-to-13 verdict over Iowa Pre-Flight. 1971J. Bishop Days of Martin Luther King, Jr. iv. 329 The President..said he was not optimistic about the passage of the civil rights bill. It would require strong bipartisan support to squeak through. 1977Time 7 Mar. 24/2 Rabin only squeaked through by sweeping the votes allotted to Israel's conservative kibbutzim.
b. With preps.: to make one's way by a narrow shave, to scrape by, into, etc. Chiefly U.S.
a1961H. H. Martin in Webster s.v., By six months of hard cramming..he squeaked by the finals. 1966Economist 27 Aug. 810/3 His Progressive Conservatives squeaked back into power with only 39 per cent of the votes. 1968Ibid. 20 Apr. 20/3 The Bill squeaked out of the Rules Committee on a single vote. 1974Union (S. Carolina) Daily Times 24 Apr. 1/4 Texaco..squeaked by Mobil last year to become the country's second biggest oil firm. 1977Monitor (McAllen, Texas) 26 June 1b/5 Jimmy Connors squeaked past a valiant Stan Smith in five sets. |